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Glite Dictionary
cup fungus

cup fungus

8.1
A small fungus with a cup-shaped body that holds spores
  • noun
  • /kʌp ˈfʌŋɡəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : hongo en copa
  • Some cup fungus species are brightly colored and easy to spot in leaf litter.

Examples

  • Scientists study the unique spores produced by cup fungus in various ecosystems.

  • The forest floor was dotted with cup fungi after the heavy rains.

  • The cup fungus is often found in damp, wooded areas.

  • Many species of cup fungi thrive on decaying wood.

  • The cup fungus grows in moist environments and is often found on decaying wood.

  • In the forest, we discovered a cup fungus nestled among the leaves, its shape resembling a small bowl.

  • While hiking, we spotted a cup fungus that had a vibrant color, standing out against the dark soil.

Synonyms

discomycete
vscup fungus
  • Archaic
9.9

A fungus that makes disc-shaped cups that hold its spores

is a broader common name for fungi with cup-shaped fruiting bodies including related groups
Discomycetes
vscup fungus
  • Archaic
9.9

A group of fungi with disk or cup-shaped parts that make spores

is a general category covering cup-shaped fruiting fungi beyond that taxonomic group

Surface Forms

cup fungus singular
cup fungi plural

Morphology

cup + fungus

The phrase denotes a fungus that is cup-shaped, so a learner who knows 'cup' (bowl-shaped) and 'fungus' can infer the referent as a fungus with a cup-like fruiting body. This noun + noun attributive formation is a regular, cross-linguistically common compositional pattern and thus readily predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

The noun cup fungus gets its name from the way the top of the fungus looks: a small, open cup that can hold spores or drops of water. So, the name now means a fungus with a 'cup-shaped' top.