shiitake

noun

shii·​ta·​ke shē-ˈtä-kē 

variants or less commonly shitake

: a dark Asian mushroom (Lentinula edodes of the family Omphalotaceae) widely cultivated especially on woods of the beech family for its edible flavorful tan to brown cap

Examples of shiitake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Guy recommends mixed gourmet mushrooms such as shiitakes, creminis, and oyster. —Heather Riske, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025

They may be better known for stir-fries than supercomputing, but shiitake mushrooms have now been harnessed to function as living processors, storing and recalling data like a semiconductor chip but with almost no environmental footprint. —New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2025

The Ohio State team specifically focused on shiitake and button mushrooms, cultivating the fungi before dehydrating them for long-term viability. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Oct. 2025

Add shiitake mushroom stems, leek greens and peppercorns; simmer for 15 minutes to make stock. —Faye Levy, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from shii, the Japanese chinquapin + take mushroom

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for shiitake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache