death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom (Amanita phalloides) of deciduous woods of North America and Europe that varies in color from pure white to olive or yellow and has a prominent volva at the base

called also death cup

Examples of death cap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Erin Patterson was convicted last year of deliberately lacing a beef wellington meal with death cap mushrooms to murder her children’s grandparents and the wife of the local pastor. — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

Prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams said the evidence showed Patterson had an opportunity to deliberately source death cap mushrooms shortly before preparing the lunch for her estranged husband's family. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Triple-murderer Erin Patterson appealed her convictions Wednesday for poisoning four of her estranged husband’s relatives with death cap mushrooms. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

The mushroom was identified by the chatbot as a death cap mushroom. — Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for death cap

• bandgap
• bitmap
• blackcap
• blackstrap
• bootstrap
• burlap
• claptrap
• entrap
• foolscap
• kidnap
• kneecap
• madcap

Kids Definition

death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom that varies in color from pure white to olive to yellow and has an obvious swollen covering about the base

called also death cup

Medical Definition

death cap

noun

: a very poisonous mushroom of the genus Amanita (A. phalloides) of deciduous woods of North America and Europe that varies in color from pure white to olive or yellow and has a prominent volva at the base

called also death cup

see thioctic acid