tooth fungus
- noun
- /tuːθ ˈfʌŋɡəs/
- Specialized
:
hongo dental
- Unlike most mushrooms, a tooth fungus has spines instead of gills under its cap.
Examples
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The hedgehog mushroom is a type of tooth fungus commonly found in forests.
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Many species of tooth fungi thrive in damp environments.
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Scientists discovered a rare tooth fungus species during their expedition.
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The tooth fungus is often found in decaying wood.
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Scientists discovered a rare tooth fungus species during their expedition.
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The hedgehog mushroom is a type of tooth fungus commonly found in forests.
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Unlike most mushrooms, a tooth fungus has spines instead of gills under its cap.
Synonyms
A family of mushrooms with spines under their caps instead of gills
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound literally combines 'tooth' and 'fungus' to denote a fungus that has tooth- or spine-like structures; a B1 learner who knows both words can infer this descriptive meaning. This is a productive noun–noun descriptive compound following common compositional patterns in English (and similar patterns in other languages), so the meaning is directly derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Tooth fungus comes from the tiny, tooth-like parts under the fungus cap that look like small teeth. These 'teeth' hold the spores, so the name means a fungus with tooth-like parts rather than gills.
