phycomycete

noun

phy·​co·​my·​cete ˌfī-kō-ˈmī-ˌsēt  -ˌmī-ˈsēt 

: any of a large class (Phycomycetes) of lower fungi that are in many respects similar to algae and are now often assigned to subdivisions (such as Mastigomycotina and Zygomycota)

phycomycetous

ˌfī-kō-ˌmī-ˈsē-təs 

adjective

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek phykos + mykēt-, mykēs fungus — more at myc-

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

phycomycete

noun

phy·​co·​my·​cete ˌfī-kō-ˈmī-ˌsēt  -ˌmī-ˈsēt 

: any fungus of two subdivisions of lower fungi (Mastigomycotina and Zygomycotina of the division Eumycota) that have a body ranging from an undifferentiated mass of protoplasm to a well-developed and much-branched coenocytic mycelium and that reproduce mainly asexually by the formation of conidia or sporangia but include forms reproducing by nearly every transitional method from simple conjugation to sexual reproduction by the union of egg and sperm

phycomycetous

-ˌmī-ˈsēt-əs 

adjective