mushrooms

IPA/ˈmʌʃ.ruːm/
KK[mˈʌʃrumz]IPA/ˈmʌʃ.ruːm/

mushrooms — noun

  • mushroomssingular
  • mushroomsesplural

1. a living thing with a stem and a round or flat cap that grows above ground; it i

1.nounA2
Definition

a living thing with a stem and a round or flat cap that grows above ground; it is not a plant, and many kinds can be safely cooked and eaten, while others are poisonous.

Example

Felipe sliced some fresh mushrooms and added them to the frying pan.

collocation: sliced / fresh mushrooms

After the rain, Mira found wild mushrooms growing under the oak tree in her garden.

Common collocations
  • wild mushrooms
  • fresh mushrooms
  • button mushrooms
  • sliced mushrooms
  • mushroom soup
  • mushroom sauce
Synonyms
  • fungus

    a much broader term covering mushrooms, moulds, and yeasts; not specific to edible types

  • toadstool

    often used for poisonous or inedible mushrooms, but not a strict scientific category

Grammar Patterns

mushroom(s) as a countable noun

Usage Note

The noun is usually countable: 'a mushroom' / 'two mushrooms'. When referring to the food in general, it can also be uncountable: 'Would you like mushroom on your pizza?'

Common Mistakes

This fungus is a mushroom.' (when talking about a specific edible type)
This mushroom is safe to eat.
'Fungus' is the broader group; 'mushroom' refers to the specific above-ground type that people commonly eat.

2. a pale greyish-brown colour, similar in shade to the surface of a common white o

2.nounB1
Definition

a pale greyish-brown colour, similar in shade to the surface of a common white or cremini mushroom.

Example

Hannah chose a wool coat in mushroom because it would match both black and navy trousers.

colour name: mushroom coats / trousers

The living room walls were painted a soft shade of mushroom that made the space feel warm.

Common collocations
  • mushroom-coloured
  • painted in mushroom
  • mushroom walls
  • mushroom tones
Synonyms
  • taupe

    a similar grey-brown colour, slightly more formal and precise in design contexts

  • greige

    a blend of grey and beige, slightly lighter and less brown than mushroom

Grammar Patterns

mushroom as a colour name

Usage Note

This sense is used mainly in fashion and interior design colour descriptions. The adjective 'mushroom' (see below) can also be used: 'a mushroom sweater'.

3. anything that has the form of a mushroom stem and cap, most often the tall colum

3.nounB2
Definition

anything that has the form of a mushroom stem and cap, most often the tall column of smoke, dust, and debris that rises after a large explosion.

Example

The explosion sent a huge mushroom of smoke rising high above the city.

collocation: mushroom of smoke

Old photographs of nuclear tests often show a massive mushroom cloud spreading into the sky.

compound: mushroom cloud

Common collocations
  • mushroom cloud
  • mushroom of smoke
  • mushroom of dust

Grammar Patterns

mushroom + noun [mushroom cloud]

Usage Note

Most common in the fixed phrase 'mushroom cloud', referring specifically to the cloud from a nuclear explosion or large fireball. The general 'something shaped like a mushroom' usage is much rarer.

mushrooms — adjective

mushrooms — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Mushroom', 'fungus', and 'toadstool' are often confused but have important differences. 'Fungus' is the broadest term, covering everything from mould on bread to yeast in bread dough to the mushrooms you buy at a market — it is the scientific kingdom that includes many thousands of species. 'Mushroom' refers specifically to the above-ground, fleshy fruiting body of certain fungi, usually with a stem and a cap; most people use it for the edible varieties sold in shops. 'Toadstool' is an informal word often used for mushrooms that look poisonous or are known to be poisonous, though there is no scientific difference between a mushroom and a toadstool. In everyday conversation, if you are not sure whether a wild fungus is safe, you might call it a toadstool to warn others. But in a supermarket, you always ask for 'mushrooms', never 'toadstools'.

mushroom ↗fungus ↗toadstool ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mushroom cloud
  • mushroom soup
  • mushroom sauce
  • mushroom omelette
  • mushroom farm

Adverbs

  • rapidly mushroomed
  • suddenly mushroomed
  • quickly mushroomed

Phrases

  • mushroom in popularity
  • mushroom into a [business/chain/empire]
  • mushroom overnight

Prepositions

  • mushroom into
  • mushroom from
  • mushroom in
  • mushroom across

Etymology

Old FrenchLate Latinpossible Germanic/Celtic rootsEnglish

The word 'mushroom' comes from the Old French 'mousseron' (modern French 'mousseron'), which likely developed from the Late Latin 'mussirio' meaning a type of fungus. The exact origin before that is uncertain, possibly from an older Germanic or Celtic root. The figurative sense of 'grow rapidly' dates back to the 1600s, comparing the sudden appearance of wild mushrooms after rain to fast growth in other areas. The use for the grey-brown colour and for explosion clouds developed in the 1900s.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Verb