psilocybin

noun

psi·​lo·​cy·​bin ˌsī-lə-ˈsī-bən 

: a hallucinogenic indole C₁₂H₁₇N₂O₄P obtained from a fungus (such as Psilocybe mexicana or P. cubensis synonym Stropharia cubensis)

Examples of psilocybin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Both men were charged with possession and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025

Zoom in: Lyman Support Centers — a small studio tucked just off Denver's Santa Fe Drive — has been offering psilocybin mushrooms as natural medicine for the past roughly two years. —Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 6 Feb. 2025

Coffee is by far America’s most widely and frequently consumed psychoactive substance (yes, like cannabis, psilocybin and other Schedule 1 substances, caffeine is a psychoactive drug). —Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 6 Dec. 2024

At that point, Colorado and Oregon had yet to legalize psilocybin use, but interest in the drugs as mental health aids was growing. —Meg Wingerter, The Denver Post, 28 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Psilocybe, fungus genus + -in entry 1

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

psilocybin

noun

psi·​lo·​cy·​bin ˌsī-lə-ˈsī-bən 

: a chemical that is obtained from a fungus and causes hallucinations

Medical Definition

psilocybin

noun

psi·​lo·​cy·​bin ˌsī-lə-ˈsī-bən 

: a hallucinogenic indole C₁₂H₁₇N₂O₄P obtained from a basidiomycetous fungus (as Psilocybe mexicana or P. cubensis synonym Stropharia cubensis)