mushroom

1 of 2

noun

mush·​room ˈməsh-ˌrüm How to pronounce mushroom (audio)
-ˌru̇m;
 chiefly Northern and Midland US  -ˌrün;
 dialectal  ˈmə-shə-ˌrüm,
-ˌru̇m,
-ˌrün
1
a
: an enlarged complex aboveground fleshy fruiting body of a fungus (such as a basidiomycete) that consists typically of a stem bearing a pileus
especially : one that is edible
b
: fungus
2
3
: something resembling a mushroom

mushroom

2 of 2

verb

mushroomed; mushrooming; mushrooms

intransitive verb

1
a
: to well up and spread out laterally from a central source
b
: to become enlarged or extended : grow
2
: to collect wild mushrooms
3
: to spring up suddenly or multiply rapidly

Examples of mushroom in a Sentence

Noun cut up some mushrooms for the salad Verb Interest in local history is suddenly mushrooming. Her hobby mushroomed into a thriving business. He goes mushrooming in the spring every year.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
From deli meat to peanuts to even mushrooms, several major outbreaks and recalls have been announced by officials since January. Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024 Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday, Oct. 23, the Pitch Perfect star reflected on a 2023 Halloween party with Brittany Snow where the pair decided to try microdosing on mushrooms. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
Under his thrall, the anti-immigrant wing of the GOP has mushroomed, its rhetoric increasingly frightening to Chamber of Commerce types, many told me in interviews. Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024 Finally, the focus for Fed officials has shifted, from a laser view on taming inflation to mushrooming fears over the state of the labor market. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mushroom 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English musheron, from Anglo-French musherum, musseron, from Late Latin mussirion-, mussirio

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1893, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mushroom was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near mushroom

Cite this Entry

“Mushroom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mushroom. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mushroom

1 of 2 noun
mush·​room ˈməsh-ˌrüm How to pronounce mushroom (audio)
-ˌru̇m
1
: a fleshy part of a fungus that bears spores, grows above ground, and consists usually of a stem bearing a flattened cap
especially : one that is edible
2

mushroom

2 of 2 verb
: to appear or develop suddenly or increase rapidly
the population mushroomed

Medical Definition

mushroom

noun
1
: an enlarged complex fleshy fruiting body of a fungus (as most basidiomycetes) that arises from an underground mycelium and consists typically of a stem bearing a spore-bearing structure
especially : one that is edible compare toadstool
2

More from Merriam-Webster on mushroom

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