mushroom

noun mush·room \ ˈməsh-ˌrüm , -ˌru̇m ; chiefly Northern and Midland US -ˌrün ; dialectal ˈmə-shə-ˌrüm , -ˌru̇m , -ˌrün \

|Updated on: 19 Aug 2018

Examples: mushroom in a Sentence

Definition of mushroom

1 a : an enlarged complex aboveground fleshy fruiting body of a fungus (such as a basidiomycete) that consists typically of a stem bearing a pileus; especially : one that is edible

b : fungus

2 : upstart

3 : something resembling a mushroom

See mushroom defined for English-language learners

See mushroom defined for kids

Examples of mushroom in a Sentence

cut up some mushrooms for the salad

Recent Examples of mushroom from the Web

Lush, fruit flavors of cherry and cassis are complemented by earthy flavors of mushroom and forest floor.

— breanne l. heldman, PEOPLE.com, "The Handmaid's Tale Wines Cancelled," 10 July 2018
Portabella mushrooms, cauliflower steaks and veggie skewers are all good options, as are veggie burgers like this black bean quinoa burger recipe.

— andrea thelen, ms, Detroit Free Press, "6 tips for healthy and safe grilling," 9 July 2018
The fillet, at $36, is customized with personal favorites, such as mushroom and onions, bleu cheese and Hickory Char and Gorgonzola sauce.

— patrick z. mcgavin, Daily Southtown, "Guide to outdoor dining in Chicago suburbs: Public Landing in Lockport," 8 July 2018
The bigoli alla carbonara ($22) includes ramps, morel mushrooms and guanciale.

— michael bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Sorrel off to a stellar start in Pacific Heights," 6 July 2018
The cello emerges again from a big orchestra cloud in the middle movement, but this one is more explosive, mushroom-shaped.

— mark swed, latimes.com, "Esa-Pekka Salonen's Cello Concerto soars on Cloud Nine," 9 Feb. 2018
The King Roland sandwich packs corned top round beef, meatballs, onions, mushrooms, provolone and tomato sauce.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "Sun King Distillery in Carmel: What to know before you go," 3 July 2018
The marinated mushroom cap is juicy, the lettuce crisp and the thin slices of tomato provide a sweetness in this sandwich, which slightly falls apart, leaving you sloppy but happy.

— grace wong, chicagotribune.com, "11 vegetarian and vegan restaurants worth checking out," 29 Jan. 2018
Place 4 large portobello mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Roasted Mushroom Parmesan Sandwich," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mushroom.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mushroom

Middle English musheron, from Anglo-French musherum, musseron, from Late Latin mussirion-, mussirio

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

mushroom

verb

Definition of mushroom

intransitive verb

1 a : to well up and spread out laterally from a central source

b : to become enlarged or extended : grow

2 : to collect wild mushrooms

3 : to spring up suddenly or multiply rapidly

See mushroom defined for English-language learners

Examples of mushroom in a Sentence

Interest in local history is suddenly mushrooming.
Her hobby mushroomed into a thriving business.
He goes mushrooming in the spring every year.

Recent Examples of mushroom from the Web

The avenues for distributing TV shows have mushroomed.

— michael rapoport, WSJ, "Streaming TV or Movie? Why It Matters to Amazon’s Profits," 8 July 2018
The yellow, green and orange bikes, unlocked using an app on a smartphone, have mushroomed across the city almost overnight.

— david swanson, latimes.com, "A freewheeling guide to two-wheeling in San Diego, a city made for cycling," 24 June 2018
But both measures came at a steep cost, contributing mightily to a mushrooming deficit that the Congressional Budget Office projected this week will reach $1 trillion in 2020 and exceed that mark in perpetuity.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "Fiscal hawk Paul Ryan leaving growing deficits and a changed GOP," 11 Apr. 2018
It should be noted that this spring’s shell-egg salmonella outbreak mushroomed not from problems in home preparation, but problems at Rose Acre Farms’ Hyde County, North Carolina, facility.

— david j. neal, charlotteobserver, "Nine things a food safety lawyer won’t eat, at home or in a restaurant," 6 July 2018
Both the city and county were widely criticized as the outbreak mushroomed into a crisis that killed 20 people and sickened nearly 600.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Hepatitis crisis has subsided, dispute over who's to blame hasn't," 16 May 2018
It should be noted that this spring’s shell-egg salmonella outbreak mushroomed not from problems in home preparation, but problems at Rose Acre Farms’ Hyde County, North Carolina, facility.

— david j. neal, charlotteobserver, "Nine things a food safety lawyer won’t eat, at home or in a restaurant," 6 July 2018
Claims in both venues, from all nationalities, have seen sharp rises over the past five years, and backlogs have mushroomed.

— david a. martin, Vox, "How to fix the crisis caused by Central American asylum seekers — humanely," 2 July 2018
It should be noted that this spring’s shell-egg salmonella outbreak mushroomed not from problems in home preparation, but problems at Rose Acre Farms’ Hyde County, North Carolina, facility.

— david j. neal, ajc, "Nine things this top food safety lawyer won’t eat at home or in a restaurant," 26 June 2018

First Known Use of mushroom

1893

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

mushroom Synonyms

MUSHROOM Defined for English Language Learners

mushroom

noun

Definition of mushroom for English Language Learners

: a fungus that is shaped like an umbrella; especially : one that can be eaten

mushroom

verb

Definition of mushroom for English Language Learners

: to increase or develop very quickly
: to collect wild mushrooms

MUSHROOM Defined for Kids

mushroom

noun mush·room \ ˈməsh-ˌrüm , -ˌru̇m \

Definition of mushroom for Students

: a part of a fungus that bears spores, grows above ground, and suggests an umbrella in shape

mushroom

verb

Definition of mushroom for Students

mushroomed; mushrooming

: to appear or develop suddenly or increase rapidly

The town's population has mushroomed.

Medical Dictionary

mushroom

noun mush·room \ ˈməsh-ˌrüm , -ˌru̇m \

medical Definition of mushroom

1 : an enlarged complex fleshy fruiting body of a fungus (as most basidiomycetes) that arises from an underground mycelium and consists typically of a stem bearing a spore-bearing structure; especially : one that is edible — compare toadstool

2 : fungus 1