fly agaric
- noun
- /flaɪ ˈæɡərɪk/
:
matamoscas
- Many fairy tales feature the fly agaric, a poisonous mushroom that stands out in the woods.
Examples
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You've mentioned fly agaric which is like that one really.
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The fly agaric...
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And so the reindeer would eat this fly agaric and they'd bounce around.
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The fly agaric in Siberia was eaten by the reindeer.
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Fly agaric.
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The fly agaric is easily recognized by its bright red cap covered in white warts.
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In the forest, I spotted a fly agaric with its iconic white gills and vibrant color.
Synonyms
A poisonous forest mushroom with a bright red cap and white spots
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase names a subtype of 'agaric' (a mushroom), so a learner who knows 'fly' and 'agaric' can infer it refers to a mushroom associated in some way with flies — the basic category (a kind of mushroom) is compositional. However, the specific attributes (that it is the bright‑red, poisonous Amanita muscaria and the historical/functional link to flies) are not predictable from the constituents alone, so full meaning requires prior exposure or cultural knowledge; cross‑linguistic naming (e.g. German Fliegenpilz) gives some cues but not complete transparency.
Etymology
The name fly agaric comes from an old use: people put pieces of the bright red mushroom in milk to attract and 'kill flies'. Here fly refers to the insect and agaric simply meant 'mushroom', so the name points to a bright, poisonous woodland mushroom.
