mushroom

noun

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mush·room | \ ˈməsh-ˌrüm

, -ˌru̇m; chiefly Northern and Midland US -ˌrün; dialectal ˈmə-shə-ˌrüm, -ˌru̇m, -ˌrün \

Definition of mushroom

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

mushroom

verb

mushroomed; mushrooming; mushrooms

Definition of mushroom (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About mushroom

Examples of mushroom in a Sentence

Noun cut up some mushrooms for the salad Verb Interest in local history is suddenly mushrooming. Her hobby mushroomed into a thriving business. He goes mushrooming in the spring every year.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The flu’s equivalent, the HA protein, looks like a mushroom. — Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2021 Pipe the mushroom caps, squeezing out round flattish mounds of meringue of various sizes onto a prepared cookie sheet. — Beth Segal, cleveland, 10 Dec. 2021 Some of her favorite recipes include stuffing zucchini boats or portobello mushroom caps. — Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, 20 Oct. 2021 Can there ever be a passed app again now that these women know sabotage is as simple as cutting off access to tiny eggrolls and stuffed mushroom caps? — Jodi Walker, EW.com, 4 Oct. 2021 By buying imperfect foods and drying them out to make things like Eat the Change’s mushroom jerky. — Simon Mainwaring, Forbes, 7 June 2021 But that doesn’t mean the same cream-of-mushroom and fried onion mixture has to be on the table. — Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 17 Nov. 2021 Baked in the oven instead of fried on the stovetop, the pancake is topped with a scrumptious mix of roasted mushroom, crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 1 Nov. 2021 There’s one type of mushroom, the lion’s mane, that Gabriel found only once in Alaska. — Samantha Davenport, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Bakkt projects that by 2025, the total pool of rewards will mushroom from today’s $1.6 trillion to $5.0 trillion, for an annual growth rate of 25%. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2021 Public shaming and individual harassment would mushroom. — Steve Forbes, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021 If our borrowings indeed mushroom to $44 trillion, the total bill would come to $1.113 trillion. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2021 The industry's electricity consumption would mushroom from 117 TWh to 206 TWh. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2021 But with the continued spread of the highly infectious delta variant, which officials fear could mushroom in communities with lower inoculation rates, the next few weeks are key in determining how potent the pandemic's latest punch may be. — Arkansas Online, 22 July 2021 But with the continued spread of the highly infectious Delta variant, which officials fear could mushroom in communities with lower inoculation rates, the next few weeks are key in determining how potent the pandemic’s latest punch may be. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2021 When the number of patients tips the 600,000 mark as expected in the coming months, the number of new licenses will mushroom to 19. — Dara Kam, sun-sentinel.com, 22 June 2021 This hodgepodge of efforts to come to grips with our new vax-world reality is likely to mushroom given the nation's fierce streak of individualism. — USA Today, 18 June 2021

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.

Learn More About mushroom

Dictionary Entries Near mushroom

mushrebiyeh

mushroom

mushroom anchor

Statistics for mushroom

Last Updated

16 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Mushroom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mushroom. Accessed 23 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for mushroom

mushroom

noun

English Language Learners Definition of mushroom

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

mushroom

verb

English Language Learners Definition of mushroom (Entry 2 of 2)

: to increase or develop very quickly

: to collect wild mushrooms

See the full definition for mushroom in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mushroom

noun

mush·room | \ ˈməsh-ˌrüm

, -ˌru̇m \

Kids Definition of mushroom

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

mushroom

verb

mushroomed; mushrooming

Kids Definition of mushroom (Entry 2 of 2)

: to appear or develop suddenly or increase rapidly The town's population has mushroomed.

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 sense 1