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Glite Dictionary
devil's urn

devil's urn

9.9
A dark, cup-shaped fungus with brown to black outside and a black inside
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : urna del diablo
  • The devil's urn gets its name from its dark, deep-cup appearance.

Examples

  • We came across a rare devil's urn while hiking in the woods last spring.

  • Mycologists are excited to monitor the spread of devil's urn in the region.

  • I found a devil's urn in the forest.

  • Have you ever seen a devil's urn?

  • Mycologists are excited to monitor the spread of devil's urn in the region.

  • We came across a rare devil's urn while hiking in the woods last spring.

  • The devil's urn gets its name from its dark, deep-cup appearance.

Synonyms

black felt cup
vsdevil's urn
  • UK
9.9

A small black, cup-shaped mushroom that grows on dead wood in damp forests

is a general dark cup fungus in the family not that species
Urnula craterium
vsdevil's urn
  • Specialized
9.9

A fungus with a cup-shaped fruit body and a nearly black inside

is a dark cup fungus that is not identified as that species
urn fungus
vsdevil's urn
  • Specialized
9.9

A fungus with a small cup-shaped body and a very dark inside

is described as a dark cup-shaped fungus rather than stressing urn shape

Surface Forms

devil's urn singular
devil's urns plural

Morphology

devil's + urn

The components 'devil's' (suggesting something sinister or devil-like) and 'urn' (a cup- or vase-shaped container) allow a learner to infer a dark, cup-shaped or ominous object, so there is a visible compositional link. However, identifying it specifically as a particular fungus species is not derivable from the parts alone, so the meaning is only partially predictable.

Etymology

Devil's urn probably gets its name from how the fungus looks: its black, deep cup looks like an old urn, and the word devil's gives a spooky feel, so the name means 'a dark, cup-shaped fungus'.