brain mushroom
- noun
- /breɪn ˈmʌʃrum/
:
hongo cerebro
- The cap of the brain mushroom has a distinctive wrinkled appearance that resembles the folds of a brain.
Examples
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The brain mushroom should never be eaten because it contains dangerous toxins.
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Foragers sometimes mistake the brain mushroom for edible varieties, leading to accidental poisoning.
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The brain mushroom is highly toxic.
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Many foragers mistakenly collect brain mushrooms thinking they are safe.
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Foragers sometimes mistake the brain mushroom for an edible variety, resulting in dangerous poisoning incidents.
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The brain mushroom is highly toxic and can cause serious illness if consumed.
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With its unique appearance, the cap of the brain mushroom closely resembles the folds of a human brain.
Synonyms
A poisonous mushroom with a wrinkled cap that can be deadly if eaten raw or not cooked properly
A poisonous mushroom with a wrinkled, brain-like cap often mistaken for edible morels
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'brain mushroom' is directly compositional: 'brain' describes the shape/appearance and 'mushroom' names the organism, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a mushroom that looks like a brain. Shape-based noun-noun compounds are common in English (and other languages), following regular composition patterns, making the meaning readily derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Brain mushroom comes from the mushroom's cap, which is wrinkled and looks like a brain, so people started calling the mushroom by that name. Because this mushroom is 'poisonous', the name also helps people remember not to eat it.
