fungus

noun

fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs 

plural fungi ˈfən-ˌjī  ˈfəŋ-ˌgī  also funguses ˈfəŋ-gə-səz 

often attributive

: any of a kingdom (Fungi) of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts

Examples of fungus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jellyfish, fireflies, fungi, and more are all known to emit their very own glow. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Jan. 2025

As aquatic ecologist Dania Albini explains, swimming in most rivers is increasingly dangerous due to sewage fungus and algal blooms. —Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025

The image becomes metabolized by the fungus in a process of self-annihilation and, like the memory itself, given a new kind of presence through its decay. —Mariana Fernández, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024

Ants farmed fungus after dino demise Adding a discovery to this list that doesn’t directly involve dinosaurs might seem strange, but new findings about when ants began to farm fungus have added significant detail to the mass extinction that wiped out all the non-avian dinosaurs. —Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1527, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fungus

• bracket fungus
• chytrid fungus
• club fungus
• cup fungus
• fungus gnat
• imperfect fungus
• lower fungus
• pore fungus
• sac fungus
• shelf fungus

Kids Definition

fungus

noun

fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs 

plural fungi ˈfən-ˌjī  ˈfəŋ-ˌgī  also funguses

1

: any of a kingdom of living things (as molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, and mushrooms) that lack chlorophyll, are parasitic or live on dead or decaying organic matter, and were formerly considered plants

2

: infection with a fungus

fungus adjective

Medical Definition

fungus

noun

fun·​gus ˈfəŋ-gəs 

plural fungi

ˈfən-ˌjī also ˈfəŋ-ˌgī

also funguses ˈfəŋ-gə-səz 

often attributive

1

: any of the kingdom Fungi of saprophytic and parasitic spore-producing eukaryotic typically filamentous organisms formerly classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts

2

: infection with a fungus