Mushroom
/ˈmʌʃ.ruːm/noun
A fleshy fungus with a stem and cap, often edible.
Did you know?The word mushroom entered English in the 1400s from French, and its earliest forms were used for a fungus or toadstool that seemed to appear almost magically overnight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meus-
“To dampen, be wet, or slimy.”
Latin
Latin
mūscum
“Mold or mildew.”
Old French
Old French
mousseron
“A mushroom or fungus.”
Middle English
English
mushrom
“A mushroom; also a rapidly growing fungus.”
Modern English
English
mushroom
“A fleshy fungus with a cap and stem, often edible.”