mycology
Americannoun
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the branch of biology dealing with fungi.
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the fungi found in an area.
noun
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the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi
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the fungi of a particular region
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of mycology
Explanation
The science of fungi and yeasts is mycology. If you're fascinated with mushrooms, you might decide to study mycology and learn more about them. Mycology is a branch of biology, and scientists who specialize in this area are mycologists. Some focus on mushrooms, researching their use as food and medicine as well as the potential danger of their toxins. Others study yeasts that are useful in the dairy, winemaking, brewing, and baking industries. It's thanks to mycology (and fungi) that life-saving medicines including penicillin and statins were discovered. Mycology has a Greek root, mykēs, or "mushroom."
Vocabulary lists containing mycology
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.
The authors' molecular work on type species is a major contribution to mycology because it establishes an authoritative foundation for all future work on Psilocybe diversity in taxonomy.
From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2024
"I think there has been a cultural need for symbols of connection, for means of connection, and mycology has become a way to meet that need," Vandegrift said.
From Salon • Apr. 30, 2023
As an adult, she developed an interest in mycology, the study of mushrooms and other fungi.
From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023
The best way to gain fungi foraging experience is by joining a local mycology chapter.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022
There is, perhaps, no family in mycology that has a greater variety in form, size, and consistency than this.
From The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise Its Habitat and its Time of Growth by Hard, Miron Elisha
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
