fairy cup
- noun
- UK
- The vibrant fairy cup stood out among the moss on the forest floor.
Examples
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Scientists discovered several fairy cups growing near the old oak tree.
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Children marvelled at the bright red fairy cup during their nature walk.
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The fairy cup is often found in damp woodland areas.
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Have you ever seen a fairy cup in the forest?
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The vibrant fairy cup mushroom caught the attention of hikers in the lush forest.
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During the expedition, botanists identified several bright red fairy cups among the fallen leaves.
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In early spring, the fairy cup fungi appear, brightening the damp woodland ground.
Synonyms
A small bright red mushroom with a cup-shaped body that grows in woods
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
A small bright red mushroom shaped like a cup that grows on the forest floor
A small fungus with a cup-shaped body that holds spores
A part of some fungi that makes and releases spores, like a morel
Surface Forms
Morphology
fairy + cup
The noun combines 'fairy' (suggesting smallness or fancifulness) with 'cup' (a bowl-shaped object), so a learner who knows both words can plausibly guess a small, cup-shaped thing — possibly a flower. However, identifying it specifically as a perennial plant species (miterwort) is not fully predictable from the parts alone and could be misinterpreted as a tiny object or decorative cup; therefore the relation is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The noun fairy cup may come from the fungus's tiny, bright red, cup-shaped bodies that look like little cups for fairies. That's why the name is used for the small scarlet fungus.