amanita

noun

am·​a·​ni·​ta ˌa-mə-ˈnī-tə How to pronounce amanita (audio) -ˈnē- How to pronounce amanita (audio)
: any of a genus (Amanita) of white-spored basidiomycetous fungi that typically have a volva and an annulus about the stipe and include some deadly poisonous forms

Illustration of amanita

Illustration of amanita

Examples of amanita in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its night and day hawk-life, slope-life, fogs, coyote, tan oaks, white-speckled amanita. Jane Hirshfield, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020 Some victims got off relatively easy, like four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital — the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning. Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017 A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap - or amanita phalloides - last December: Violent nausea, in all cases. The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 3 June 2017 A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap — or amanita phalloides — last December: Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017 Some victims got off relatively easy, including four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital - the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning. Avi Selk, chicagotribune.com, 3 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amanita.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, from Greek amanitai, plural, a kind of fungus

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amanita was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near amanita

Cite this Entry

“Amanita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amanita. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

amanita

noun
am·​a·​ni·​ta ˌam-ə-ˈnīt-ə How to pronounce amanita (audio) -ˈnēt- How to pronounce amanita (audio)
: any of various mostly poisonous fungi with white spores and a globe-shaped swelling about the base of the stem

Medical Definition

amanita

noun
am·​a·​ni·​ta ˌam-ə-ˈnīt-ə How to pronounce amanita (audio) -ˈnēt- How to pronounce amanita (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of widely distributed white-spored basidiomycetous fungi (family Amanitaceae) that includes some deadly poisonous forms (as the death cap)
2
: a fungus of the genus Amanita

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