Myces
/ˈmaɪ.siːz/noun
A combining form used in scientific names relating to fungi or fungus-like organisms.
Did you know?The root comes from Greek *mykēs* (μύκης), the word for a mushroom or fungus, and it survives in scientific names like *mycology* and *Aspergillus niger*’s fungal relatives.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meug-
“to be slimy or moldy; possibly an ancient root associated with moisture and decay”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μύκης (mykēs)
“a mushroom; fungus”
Classical Latin
Latin
mycēs / myces
“a fungus, mushroom (borrowed from Greek in learned usage)”
Modern Scientific English
English
-myces
“a combining form used in names of fungi and fungus-like organisms”
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