death cap

noun

Definition of death cap

: 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

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The death capped off a tense weekend for people in the legal world who worried about returning to work with a gunman who had yet to be found by police. — Rachel Leingang, azcentral, "Phoenix-area law firms bolster security after shootings shake legal community," 4 June 2018 Additionally, Amanita muscaria are often confused with relatives: deadly impostors known as the death cap and the destroying angel. — Joanna Klein, New York Times, "A Mushroom Out of a Fairy Tale That You Might Find in the Forest," 17 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'death cap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of death cap was in 1925

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death cap

noun

Medical Definition of death cap

: 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