- any member of a kingdom of organisms (Fungi) that lack chlorophyll, leaves, true stems, and roots, reproduce by spores, and live as saprotrophs or parasites. The group includes moulds, mildews, rusts, yeasts, and mushrooms
- something resembling a fungus, esp in suddenly growing and spreading rapidly
- any soft tumorous growth
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
fun•gi
(fun′jī, fung′gī),USA pronunciation n.
Fun•gi (fun′jī, fung′gī),USA pronunciation n. (used with a pl. v.) [Biol.]
fungi-,
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Fungia pl. of fungus.
Fun•gi (fun′jī, fung′gī),USA pronunciation n. (used with a pl. v.) [Biol.]
- Biology, Fungia taxonomic kingdom, or in some classification schemes a division of the kingdom Plantae, comprising all the fungus groups and sometimes also the slime molds. Also called Mycota.
- Neo-Latin; see fungus
fungi-,
- a combining form representing fungus in compound words:fungicide.
fun•gus /ˈfʌŋgəs/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. fun•gi /ˈfʌndʒaɪ, ˈfʌŋgaɪ/USA pronunciation fun•gus•es.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Biology, Fungia plant lacking chlorophyll, flowers, and leaves and that lives by decomposing and absorbing the organic material in which it grows:Fungi include the mushrooms and molds.
fun•gus
(fung′gəs),USA pronunciation n., pl. fun•gi (fun′jī, fung′gī),USA pronunciation fun•gus•es, adj.
n.
adj.
fun•gic
(fun′jik),USA pronunciation adj.
fun′gus•like′, adj.
n.
- Biology, Fungiany of a diverse group of eukaryotic single-celled or multinucleate organisms that live by decomposing and absorbing the organic material in which they grow, comprising the mushrooms, molds, mildews, smuts, rusts, and yeasts, and classified in the kingdom Fungi or, in some classification systems, in the division Fungi (Thallophyta) of the kingdom Plantae.
- Pathologya spongy, abnormal growth, as granulation tissue formed in a wound.
adj.
- Fungifungous.
- Latin: fungus, mushroom; perh. akin to Greek spóngos, sphóngos sponge
- 1520–30;
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
fungus /ˈfʌŋɡəs/ n ( pl fungi /ˈfʌŋɡaɪ; ˈfʌŋɡɪ; ˈfʌndʒaɪ; ˈfʌndʒɪ/, funguses
'fungi' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
amadou
- antheridium
- antibiotic
- antifungal
- basidium
- bunt
- chitin
- colony
- conidium
- conjugation
- cryptogam
- culture
- culture medium
- damping off
- dry rot
- ergot
- eukaryote
- filament
- foxfire
- fructification
- function
- fungible
- fungus
- fungal
- fungicide
- fungoid
- gall
- gametangium
- heteroecious
- ink-cap
- jelly fungus
- kingdom
- lichen
- magic mushroom
- microflora
- mildew
- mould
- mushroom
- mycelium
- mycology
- mycotoxin
- phycomycete
- powdery mildew
- protist
- puffball
- rind
- rot
- rust
- saprophyte
- slime