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mycologist

American  
[mahy-kahl-uhj-ist] / maɪˈkɑl ədʒ ɪst /

noun

mycologists plural
  1. a specialist in or student of mycology.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Explanation

A scientist whose specializes in fungi is a mycologist. If you're mad about mushrooms, you should think about becoming a mycologist. Want to know more about fungi? Ask a mycologist! These experts are biologists who focus on the properties, uses, and dangers of mushrooms, molds, and yeasts. Many mycologists study diseases of plants, most of which are fungal, while others investigate the healing properties of mushrooms and other fungi. Mycologist is formed by adding myco-, from the Greek mykēs, "fungus," to the scientific suffix -logist, "student of."

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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My wife, an amateur mycologist, had been invited along with some friends to present their findings on the microscopic fungi that grow on the dung of herbivores like deer and rabbits.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 16, 2025

Paul Stamets and Jeff Chilton met in 1978 in Olympia, Wash. Back then, Stamets was a student and aspiring mycologist, and Chilton was a commercial mushroom grower.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2025

But the mycologist believes our relationship with fly agaric goes back further still, all the way to the ancient roots of religion itself.

From Salon Feb. 20, 2025

Through his company Fungi Perfecti, mycologist Paul Stamets sells a variety of mushroom supplement capsules that claim to offer memory, nerve, and immune support.

From National Geographic Jan. 31, 2024

She wants to be a mycologist specializing in tropical fungi.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Travelers join pro botanists and mycologists to document the local flora and fungi, while educating villagers on safe foraging practices.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 16, 2025

And with no end in sight, Stamets and Chilton’s disagreement is causing ructions in the mushroom community of business people, mycologists and fungi enthusiasts.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 18, 2025

As the popularity of this outdoor hobby grows, mycologists have noticed poisonings increase alongside.

From Salon May 30, 2024

But after Danish mycologists targeted local Mycena, known as bonnet mushrooms, it turned out that certain similarities emerged nevertheless.

From Science Daily Oct. 23, 2023

I used the time in between to read about mushrooms and talk to mycologists.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

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