fungus

noun

fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs How to pronounce fungus (audio)
often attributive
: any of a kingdom (Fungi) of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts

Examples of fungus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One particularly bad pathogenic fungus for plants is called rust. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 31 Jan. 2024 Because of their susceptibility to Verticillium fungus, they should not be planted in soil where solanaceous crops — tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, or peppers — grew within the last four years. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024 The threat of fungus growth is low due to the effort and care put into repair and restoration, Lubeley said. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 But their herpetology hunt turned into a fungus find. Jude Coleman, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2024 Further Reading Drug-resistant ringworm reported in US for first time; community spread likely Last year, a dermatologist in New York reported the country's first cases of a newly emerging skin fungus that is highly contagious and resistant to common antifungal treatments. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2024 Bella Ramsey) on a journey across a U.S. ravaged by a mysterious fungus outbreak that has turned infected human hosts into zombie-like monsters in order to help develop a cure. Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 Certain fungi have also shown promise in removing other pollutants, like PCBs and heavy metals, from soil and water. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 The chemicals in the bleach and copper in the penny work to kill off any bacteria and fungi, making your flowers stay fresh for longer. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Nov. 2023

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

Latin

First Known Use

1527, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fungus was in 1527

Dictionary Entries Near fungus

Cite this Entry

“Fungus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fungus. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fungus

noun
fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs How to pronounce fungus (audio)
plural fungi ˈfən-ˌjī How to pronounce fungus (audio) ˈfəŋ-ˌgī How to pronounce fungus (audio) also funguses
1
: any of a kingdom of living things (as molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, and mushrooms) that lack chlorophyll, are parasitic or live on dead or decaying organic matter, and were formerly considered plants
2
: infection with a fungus
fungus adjective

Medical Definition

fungus

noun
fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs How to pronounce fungus (audio)
plural fungi
ˈfən-ˌjī also ˈfəŋ-ˌgī
also funguses ˈfəŋ-gə-səz How to pronounce fungus (audio)
often attributive
1
: any of the kingdom Fungi of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts
2
: infection with a fungus

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