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
No amount of death cap is safe to consume.
—
Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
However, death cap mushrooms can be found throughout California.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Initial symptoms — which tend to appear within six to 24 hours of ingesting a death cap — can include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dehydration, the state health department said.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California Department of Public Health is advising people to avoid picking and eating wild mushrooms during this high-risk season, as death cap mushrooms are abundant across the Northern California and the Central Coast regions.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Officials speculated that heavy rains this winter are producing more death cap mushrooms than normal, particularly in Northern California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Heather Hallen-Adams, the toxicology chair of the North American Mycological Association, previously told NBC News that death cap mushrooms look similar to other species in its genus, Amanita, that are often collected in Mexico and are safe to eat.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
What To Know Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old woman from Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, was convicted on July 7, 2025, of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth after serving them beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms during a family lunch at her home.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025
However, unlike death cap mushrooms and destroying angels, many of the toxins found in Amanita muscaria are water-soluble and can be removed by parboiling them prior to cooking or by other means.
—Matt Kasson, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
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Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2026
However, death cap mushrooms can be found throughout California.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Initial symptoms — which tend to appear within six to 24 hours of ingesting a death cap — can include watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dehydration, the state health department said.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California Department of Public Health is advising people to avoid picking and eating wild mushrooms during this high-risk season, as death cap mushrooms are abundant across the Northern California and the Central Coast regions.
—Noe Padilla, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Officials speculated that heavy rains this winter are producing more death cap mushrooms than normal, particularly in Northern California.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 14 Jan. 2026
Heather Hallen-Adams, the toxicology chair of the North American Mycological Association, previously told NBC News that death cap mushrooms look similar to other species in its genus, Amanita, that are often collected in Mexico and are safe to eat.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
What To Know Erin Patterson, a 50-year-old woman from Leongatha, Victoria, Australia, was convicted on July 7, 2025, of murdering three relatives and attempting to murder a fourth after serving them beef Wellingtons laced with death cap mushrooms during a family lunch at her home.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Nov. 2025
However, unlike death cap mushrooms and destroying angels, many of the toxins found in Amanita muscaria are water-soluble and can be removed by parboiling them prior to cooking or by other means.
—Matt Kasson, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Death cap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20cap. Accessed 24 Jan. 2026.
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