fairy ring

noun

1
: a ring of basidiomycetous mushrooms produced at the periphery of a body of mycelium which has grown outward from an initial growth point
also : a ring of luxuriant vegetation especially when associated with these mushrooms
2
: a mushroom (especially Marasmius oreades) that commonly grows in fairy rings

Examples of fairy ring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Revisiting old radar images, the new study matched two images of a fairy ring of volcanic vents that were taken eight months apart. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Feb. 2024 Problem: Circles Pop Up in the Grass What the Lawn Is Trying to Tell You Mysterious circles of mushrooms, called fairy rings, are caused by soil fungi. Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, 21 July 2023 Mysterious circles of mushrooms, called fairy rings, are caused by soil fungi. Brett Martin, Popular Mechanics, 21 July 2023 Another approach is to manage the fairy ring with fertilizers, wetting agents and careful watering. oregonlive, 13 May 2023 Towering over us was a circle of 100-foot-tall redwoods, known as a fairy ring. Jeffrey Ball, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2021 One common disease with too much organic matter is fairy ring. oregonlive, 21 Aug. 2021 See the places where fairies and gnomes live outside on the museum grounds, dance in a fairy ring, and more. courant.com, 28 May 2021 These fast-growing descendant trees — often found growing in a circle, called a fairy ring, around the original stumps — make up 95 percent of the redwood acreage across the state. Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, 30 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fairy ring.' 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

from the folk belief that such rings were dancing places of the fairies

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fairy ring was in 1870

Dictionary Entries Near fairy ring

Cite this Entry

“Fairy ring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fairy%20ring. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fairy ring

noun
: a ring of mushrooms in a lawn or meadow that is produced at the edge of a mass of mycelium which is growing outward from a central point

More from Merriam-Webster on fairy ring

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