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
Anne Pringle The primary culprit behind the poisonings is the invasive death cap mushroom, which is also called Amanita phalloides.
—
Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Public health officials issued a second warning last month, cautioning the public against foraging for wild mushrooms, noting that many people mistakenly have eaten the death cap, which when consumed can cause severe liver damage and, in some cases, death.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The death cap is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world and is part of a small group of mushrooms containing amatoxins, which are highly potent compounds causing 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings globally.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
The department is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year because death cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
But death cap mushrooms are found across California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
In the Bay Area, there are two mushrooms that are unsafe for any creature, and those are the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata).
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
The prime culprit in the current California outbreak is the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, recognized as one of the world’s deadliest fungi.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
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Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 May 2026
Two lethal mushroom species, the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata), have poisoned at least 47 people and claimed four lives since mid-November, according to the California Department of Public Health.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2026
Public health officials issued a second warning last month, cautioning the public against foraging for wild mushrooms, noting that many people mistakenly have eaten the death cap, which when consumed can cause severe liver damage and, in some cases, death.
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
The death cap is one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world and is part of a small group of mushrooms containing amatoxins, which are highly potent compounds causing 90% of fatal mushroom poisonings globally.
—Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
The department is urging people to avoid mushroom foraging altogether this year because death cap mushrooms are easily confused with safe, edible varieties.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
But death cap mushrooms are found across California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
In the Bay Area, there are two mushrooms that are unsafe for any creature, and those are the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and the western destroying angel (Amanita ocreata).
—Joan Morris, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
The prime culprit in the current California outbreak is the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, recognized as one of the world’s deadliest fungi.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Death cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20cap. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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