A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-producing part of a fungus, often shaped like a small umbrella, that grows in soil or on decaying material. Some mushrooms are edible, while others are poisonous.
From Middle French *mousseron* or *mousseron*, likely from a word related to *mousse* “moss,” because mushrooms often grow in damp, mossy places. The exact origin is uncertain but clearly linked to older European words for fungi.
Try Another Word