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
During her 10-week trial, the jury heard that Patterson had seen the location of the death cap mushrooms posted on a citizen science website.
—
Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
An Australian woman has been sentenced to life in prison for poisoning three of her former in-laws with death cap mushrooms during a 2023 family lunch.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Patterson was found guilty last month of luring her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, to lunch at her home and poisoning them with individual portions of Beef Wellington that contained toxic death cap mushrooms.
—Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025
Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s mother, father, aunt and uncle to lunch at her home in the southern state of Victoria in Australia in July 2023 and served them beef Wellington made with death cap mushrooms.
—David Mac Dougall, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
The main question facing the jury: Did Patterson knowingly put death cap mushrooms in the dish with the intention of killing her guests?
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 7 July 2025
According to the prosecution, Patterson prepared the meals with death cap mushrooms, which can lead to liver failure and death.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025
Investigators said Erin Patterson looked up where to find death cap mushrooms near her home, traveled to the areas and purchased a food dehydrator to prepare the fungi.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Traces of a toxin present in death cap mushrooms had been discovered in the food, according to the outlet.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 July 2025
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Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
An Australian woman has been sentenced to life in prison for poisoning three of her former in-laws with death cap mushrooms during a 2023 family lunch.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Patterson was found guilty last month of luring her mother-in-law Gail Patterson, father-in-law Donald Patterson and Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson, to lunch at her home and poisoning them with individual portions of Beef Wellington that contained toxic death cap mushrooms.
—Reuters, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2025
Erin Patterson invited her estranged husband’s mother, father, aunt and uncle to lunch at her home in the southern state of Victoria in Australia in July 2023 and served them beef Wellington made with death cap mushrooms.
—David Mac Dougall, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
The main question facing the jury: Did Patterson knowingly put death cap mushrooms in the dish with the intention of killing her guests?
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 7 July 2025
According to the prosecution, Patterson prepared the meals with death cap mushrooms, which can lead to liver failure and death.
—Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025
Investigators said Erin Patterson looked up where to find death cap mushrooms near her home, traveled to the areas and purchased a food dehydrator to prepare the fungi.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Traces of a toxin present in death cap mushrooms had been discovered in the food, according to the outlet.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Death cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20cap. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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