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puffball mushroom

puffball mushroom

5.5
A round wild mushroom that releases a cloud of tiny spores when touched
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌfˌbɔl ˈmʌʃˌruːm/
translation icon : hongo puffball
  • The children were fascinated when the puffball mushroom released a cloud of spores.

Examples

  • It is best to identify a puffball mushroom carefully before considering it edible.

  • Look at that puffball mushroom!

  • We saw a large puffball mushroom growing near the old tree stump.

  • The puffball mushrooms in the field are huge.

  • In the damp forest, we discovered a large puffball mushroom that released a cloud of spores when we touched it.

  • The children were fascinated by the round shape of the puffball mushroom they found while hiking in the woods.

  • After the rain, a variety of fungi, including the puffball mushroom, started to appear in the grassy meadow.

Synonyms

puffball
vspuffball mushroom
4 7.9

A round mushroom that releases a cloud of spores when mature

is a narrower term for the typical round species found in fields and forests
true puffball
vspuffball mushroom
  • Specialized
9.3

A round mushroom that releases a cloud of spores when you touch it

is the common general type not limited to a single family

Surface Forms

Morphology

puffball + mushroom

The phrase names a subtype formed by combining two literal nouns: 'puffball' (a fungus that releases spores in a puff) and 'mushroom' (a fungus), so the overall meaning — a mushroom-like fungus that releases spores in a cloud — is directly derivable from the parts. This is a transparent noun–noun compound denoting a specific kind of fungus and follows straightforward compositional patterns that B1 learners who know the constituents can understand.

Etymology

Puffball mushroom links puff and ball: it is a round, ball-like mushroom that, when touched, sends out a cloud of 'spores' in a quick puff. So the name simply describes a round mushroom that releases a puff of 'spores' when disturbed.