hen of the woods
- noun
- /hɛn əv ðə wʊdz/
:
seta de gallina
- The unique shape of the hen of the woods makes it easy to distinguish from other wild mushrooms.
Examples
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She sautéed the hen of the woods mushrooms with garlic and herbs for dinner.
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Foragers often look for hen of the woods growing near old oak trees in the autumn.
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Look at that giant hen of the woods over there!
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Did you spot any hens of the woods during your hike?
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The hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa) is a popular ingredient in gourmet dishes due to its unique flavor.
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Foraging enthusiasts often look for the hen of the woods mushroom at the base of oak trees during autumn.
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The chef featured the hen of the woods fungus in her specialty risotto, enhancing the dish with its earthy taste.
Synonyms
A large edible mushroom with many caps joined together that grows at tree bases, called hen of the woods
A large edible mushroom with many overlapping caps that looks like a hen and grows at the base of trees
A large grey brown edible mushroom with many overlapping caps that grows at tree bases
Surface Forms
Morphology
hen + of + the + woods
Although the phrase literally combines 'hen' and 'woods', a B1 learner who knows those words would most likely interpret it as a bird in the woods rather than a large edible fungus. The MWE is a conventional, metaphorical name based on resemblance, so the specific referent (Grifola frondosa, a mushroom) is not predictable from the constituents without prior exposure or specialized knowledge.
Etymology
Hen of the woods gets its name from the mushroom's look: it grows in a large, flat bunch of overlapping parts that remind people of a hen and often appears at the edge of the woods. So the picture of a hen helps explain why this name refers to that large, edible mushroom.
