Foxfire

/ˈfɑks.ˌfaɪɚ/ noun

Definition

A bioluminescent glow produced by certain fungi in rotting wood, resembling ghostly fire in dark forests.

Etymology

From 'fox' plus 'fire,' possibly from folklore that foxes carried glowing tails, or named because the glow seemed mysterious and tricky like a fox leading travelers astray.

Kelly Says

Foxfire is actually wood-decomposing fungus that glows from a chemical reaction—medieval people thought it was witchcraft or fox magic, but it's just nature's own cold fluorescence, glowing in the dark like a living ghost.

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