boletus

IPA/bəˈliːtəs/
IPA/bəˈliːtəs/

boletus — noun

1. A wild mushroom with small round holes under its cap instead of the usual thin g

1.nounB1
Definition

A wild mushroom with small round holes under its cap instead of the usual thin gills. Some types are safe to eat, while others are poisonous.

Example

While walking in the woods near Kyoto, Chen found several large boletus mushrooms growing under an old oak tree.

collocation: boletus + growing under [tree]

Aunt Rosa cleaned the boletus carefully before slicing them into the risotto.

Common collocations
  • edible boletus
  • wild boletus
  • boletus cap
  • red-capped boletus
  • poisonous boletus
  • boletus species
Synonyms
  • bolete

    A less common English name for the same group; 'boletus' is the scientific and everyday name.

Grammar Patterns

boletus + verb (grow, appear)

a/the boletus

boletus mushrooms

Usage Note

When identifying a boletus, check the underside of the cap — the pore surface (small round holes) distinguishes it from gilled mushrooms. Always consult an expert before eating a wild specimen.

Common Mistakes

I picked a boletus with gills under the cap.
I picked a boletus with small pores under the cap.
Boletus mushrooms have pores (tiny holes), not gills.

Word family

  • bolete
    nounB2
  • boletes
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Boletus' is the scientific name for a large genus of mushrooms with pores rather than gills. 'Bolete' is the common English term for any mushroom in the broader Boletaceae family, whether or not it belongs to the specific genus Boletus. 'Porcini' (also called 'cep' in French/UK usage) refers specifically to the highly prized edible species Boletus edulis. While all porcini are boletus mushrooms, not every boletus is a porcini — many species are bitter or poisonous and should never be eaten. In everyday cooking, people talk about 'buying dried porcini for soup,' while foragers use 'boletus' to describe any pore-bearing mushroom they find in the forest.

boleteporcini ↗cep ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • commonly found
  • easily identified

Phrases

  • wild boletus
  • edible boletus
  • poisonous boletus
  • boletus mushroom

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word 'boletus' comes directly from Latin bōlētus, which the Romans used for a prized edible mushroom. The Romans borrowed it from Ancient Greek βωλίτης (bōlítēs), possibly related to βῶλος (bōlos) meaning 'lump' or 'clod,' a reference to the mushroom's rounded cap shape.