destroying angel
noun
: any of several very poisonous pure white amanita mushrooms (such as Amanita verna or A. virosa) : death cap
Examples of destroying angel in a Sentence
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Deadly mushrooms in Marin The most dangerous varieties found in Marin — for both dogs and people — are the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and destroying angel (Amanita ocreata).
—
Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
Read more: Beware of deadly wild mushrooms: Portage County man survives poisoning, thanks to experimental drug at UH - cleveland.com
In common parlance, these mushrooms are referred to as destroying angels or death cap mushrooms.
—Gretchen Cuda Kroen, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
Additionally, Amanita muscaria are often confused with relatives: deadly impostors known as the death cap and the destroying angel.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2017
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Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
Read more: Beware of deadly wild mushrooms: Portage County man survives poisoning, thanks to experimental drug at UH - cleveland.com
In common parlance, these mushrooms are referred to as destroying angels or death cap mushrooms.
—Gretchen Cuda Kroen, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
Additionally, Amanita muscaria are often confused with relatives: deadly impostors known as the death cap and the destroying angel.
—Joanna Klein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Destroying angel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroying%20angel. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
destroying angel
noun
de·stroy·ing an·gel
di-ˌstrȯi(-i)ŋ-ˈān-jəl 
: any of several very poisonous pure white mushrooms of the genus Amanita (as A. verna, A. virosa, or A. ocreata)
also
: a death cap (A. phalloides) whether white or colored
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