Plural of agaric; various fungi or fungal products, often historically used in medicine and cooking.
From Greek 'agarikon,' a term for several fungal species. The word entered European languages through medieval Latin and was used for mushrooms valued for their medicinal properties.
Medieval Europeans thought agarics were magical cures—they called one type 'the fungus of immortality' because it grew on larch trees, and wealthy people paid fortunes for it believing it could extend their lives.
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