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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In April 2023, just months before Patterson had her relatives over for lunch, the Victoria Department of Health issued an advisory warning that death cap mushrooms were growing in the state. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 2 May 2025 But at that point, her guests had been diagnosed with suffering from death cap poisoning. Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025 Among them is the death cap mushroom which is highly toxic and often leads to a quick death if wrongly ingested. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2025 For instance, the lethal death cap mushroom contains a toxin that is virtually tasteless. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 The mushrooms, which resembled white button mushrooms, were actually death cap mushrooms, Monterey County officials said in a Jan. 3 news release. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 6 Jan. 2025 Anyone who eats death cap mushrooms may fall ill, then appear to recover, but the poison can then cause liver failure or death, officials said. Don Sweeney, Sacramento Bee, 6 Jan. 2025 Another frequent call concerns the death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides, the deadliest of all mushrooms. Sara Okeefe, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 The death cap can vary greatly in size and color, reaching anywhere from a mere inch to 8 inches across, and come in a range of shades of white, green, yellow and brown. Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death cap was in 1925

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Death cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20cap. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

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
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