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

Recent Examples on the Web

So are Western destroying angel mushroom, which have creamy white caps and white gills. — Sacbee.com, 1 June 2026

The three deadliest mushrooms in California are the death cap, the western destroying angel and the deadly galerina (Galerina marginata), according to the Bay Area Mycological Society. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Most illnesses are linked to amatoxin-containing mushrooms, including death caps (Amanita phalloides) and western destroying angels (Amanita ocreata), both highly toxic species that can closely resemble edible mushrooms. — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 16 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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Medical 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