Word: Mushroom

Pronunciation

/ˈmʌʃrʊm/

Definitions

Noun (n)

1. A type of edible fungus that typically has a cap, stem, and gills underneath the cap on which spores are produced. For example: “They picked wild mushrooms for their dinner.”
2. The fruiting body of certain fungi, often having a distinctive umbrella-like shape. For instance: “The damp forest floor was covered with various types of mushrooms.”
3. A button-shaped piece of food made from compressed meat, fish, or vegetables. Example: “Vegetarian burgers with a mushroom patty were on the menu.”
4. Slang: Something that grows or expands rapidly, especially in an undesirable manner. Example: “The city’s crime rate mushroomed overnight.”

Verb (v)

To grow or increase rapidly in size, number, or extent; to expand quickly. Example: “The small startup mushroomed into a multinational corporation within five years.”

Phrases

• “Mushroom cloud”: A dense, often mushroom-shaped mass of smoke and debris rising into the air after a nuclear explosion or volcanic eruption.
• “Pop up like mushrooms”: To appear suddenly and in large numbers, referring to something that proliferates quickly. Example: “New cafes have popped up like mushrooms all over the town.”

Example Sentences

• Noun (fungus): “I found some chanterelles and porcini mushrooms during my hike through the woods.”
• Verb: “The rumors about the new product release mushroomed across social media platforms within hours.”

Synonyms

• Fungi (plural form for the noun referring to multiple mushrooms)
• Toadstool (informal term for certain poisonous mushrooms)
• Morels, portobello, shiitake (varieties of edible mushrooms)
• Sprout, burgeon, expand (as verbs meaning to grow or increase rapidly)