death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom (Amanita phalloides) of deciduous woods of North America and Europe that varies in color from pure white to olive or yellow and has a prominent volva at the base

called also death cup

Examples of death cap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mushrooms, which resembled white button mushrooms, were actually death cap mushrooms, Monterey County officials said in a Jan. 3 news release. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 6 Jan. 2025

Anyone who eats death cap mushrooms may fall ill, then appear to recover, but the poison can then cause liver failure or death, officials said. —Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 6 Jan. 2025

Another frequent call concerns the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, the deadliest of all mushrooms. —Sara Okeefe, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024

The death cap can vary greatly in size and color, reaching anywhere from a mere inch to 8 inches across, and come in a range of shades of white, green, yellow and brown. —Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024

Deadly mushrooms in Marin The most dangerous varieties found in Marin — for both dogs and people — are the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and destroying angel (Amanita ocreata). —Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024

Authorities suspect death cap mushrooms were behind the fatalities. —Steve Mollman, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2023

Read more: Beware of deadly wild mushrooms: Portage County man survives poisoning, thanks to experimental drug at UH - cleveland.com In common parlance, these mushrooms are referred to as destroying angels or death cap mushrooms. —Gretchen Cuda Kroen, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023

Police have previously said that all four of Patterson’s guests showed symptoms consistent with poisoning by death cap mushrooms, a particularly deadly variety, although the official cause of death has not yet been confirmed. —Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 14 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for death cap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom that varies in color from pure white to olive to yellow and has an obvious swollen covering about the base

called also death cup

Medical Definition

death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom of the genus Amanita (A. phalloides) of deciduous woods of North America and Europe that varies in color from pure white to olive or yellow and has a prominent volva at the base

called also death cup

see thioctic acid