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puffball

American

[puhf-bawl] / ˈpʌfˌbɔl /

noun

any of various basidiomycetous fungi, especially of the genus Lycoperdon and allied genera, characterized by a ball-like fruit body that emits a cloud of spores when broken.

puffball British

/ ˈpʌfˌbɔːl /

noun

any of various basidiomycetous saprotrophic fungi of the genera Calvatia and Lycoperdon, having a round fruiting body that discharges a cloud of brown spores when mature

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of puffball

First recorded in 1640–50; puff + ball ¹

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.

"A giant puffball is the most easily recognisable 'forageable' mushroom," she said.

From BBC • Dec. 14, 2024

Death cap mushrooms, for example, have been spreading throughout the western U.S. and look similar to the common puffball.

From National Geographic • Feb. 14, 2024

The highest mushroom discovered was a puffball found at 17,037 feet, just below Everest Base Camp at 17,598 feet.

From Washington Post • Sep. 18, 2022

Tan, coached by 1998 Wimbledon finalist Nathalie Tauziat, lacks pure power and has a puffball second serve, but she understands tennis geometry and has an unconventional tool set that is well suited to grass.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2022

I wish I could blow on a dandelion puffball and see its dust scatter.

From "Lucky Broken Girl" by Ruth Behar

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023