bird's-nest fungus
- noun
- /bɜrdz nɛst ˈfʌŋɡəs/
- Specialized
:
hongo nido de pájaro
- The bird's-nest fungus was found in the damp forest.
Examples
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We found a bird's-nest fungus growing in the damp mulch beside the pathway.
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Naturalists are fascinated by how the spores are released from the bird's-nest fungus.
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The cup-shaped structure of a bird's-nest fungus resembles a tiny nest filled with eggs.
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Have you ever seen a bird's-nest fungus before?
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The bird's-nest fungus, with its unique cup-shaped fruiting body, can often be found in damp woodland areas.
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During our hike, we spotted a bird's-nest fungus nestled among the fallen leaves.
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The bird's-nest fungus contains several small, egg-like structures that house the spores.
Synonyms
A group of fungi that form small nest-like bodies holding tiny egg-like structures
Surface Forms
Morphology
bird's-nest + fungus
The compound literally names a fungus that looks like a bird's nest: a B1 learner who knows 'bird's nest' (a nest made by birds) and 'fungus' can reasonably infer it is a type of fungus resembling a nest. This form of descriptive naming by resemblance is common cross-linguistically and follows transparent compositional patterns, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Bird's-nest fungus is named for a clear picture: its small, cup-shaped bodies look like a tiny nest holding little white eggs. Those little eggs later release 'spores', so people called the fungi bird's-nest fungus to show both their nest-like shape and how they spread.
