blood cup
- noun
- UK
- The blood cup is easily recognized by its bright red, cup-shaped fruiting body in woodland areas.
Examples
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The blood cup adds a splash of color to the forest floor during early spring.
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The blood cup is often found in damp woodlands.
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Fungi enthusiasts often search for the elusive blood cup after heavy spring rains.
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Have you ever seen a blood cup mushroom?
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Fungi enthusiasts often search for the elusive blood cup after heavy spring rains.
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The blood cup adds a splash of color to the forest floor during early spring.
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The blood cup is easily recognized by its bright red, cup-shaped fruiting body in woodland areas.
Synonyms
A small bright red mushroom with a cup-shaped body
A bright red cup-shaped fungus found on woodland ground in spring
A small bright red mushroom shaped like a cup that appears in early spring
A small mushroom with bright red, cup-shaped bodies that appear in early spring
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun compound is compositionally transparent: 'blood' evokes a blood-red colour and 'cup' denotes a cup-shaped form, so a learner can infer a blood-red, cup-shaped object. This matches the fungus's salient appearance (a scarlet, cup-shaped ascocarp) and follows a common attributive noun+noun pattern, so a B1 learner knowing the constituents would grasp the basic meaning.
Etymology
Blood cup may come from the fungus's bright red color and its cup shape. The words blood and cup paint a picture of a tiny cup of blood, so the name helps people imagine and remember this mushroom.