Word
mushroom
Phoneticsmush·room, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈməʃɹum/
UK/mˈʌʃɹuːm/
Definitions
01fungus/food
A1 · Beginner Countable noun
n. a fungus with a stem and a round top, often grown for food.
n. the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or a food source.
“I added some sliced mushrooms to the pasta sauce for extra flavour.”
“The chef foraged for wild mushrooms in the forest, carefully avoiding the toxic varieties that closely resemble edible species.”
Synonyms
02something that grows fast
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. something that appears or grows very suddenly.
n. an object or entity that appears or develops with remarkable speed, often used figuratively.
“New apartment buildings appeared like mushrooms all over the city.”
“The sudden appearance of these tech startups, growing like mushrooms in the industrial district, transformed the local economy within a single decade.”
03architecture
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a strong concrete post with a wide top used to hold up a ceiling.
n. a reinforced concrete column with a flared head, designed to support a flat slab without the need for beams.
“The garage used mushroom columns to support the heavy concrete floor above.”
“The architect specified mushroom construction for the warehouse to maximise vertical clearance and ensure even load distribution across the floor slabs.”
04shaped like a mushroom
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having the shape or look of a mushroom.
adj. resembling a mushroom in form, particularly having a narrow base and a broad, rounded top.
“The explosion created a huge mushroom cloud in the sky.”
“The designer chose a mushroom lamp for the bedside table, citing its soft curves and mid-century aesthetic.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English muscheron, musseron, from Anglo-Norman musherum, moscheron, from Old French moisseron, of obscure origin: probably derived from Old French mosse, moise ("moss"; whence also French mousse), as the use first applied to a type of fungus which grows in moss, from Frankish mosu (“moss”) or Old Dutch mosa (“moss”), akin to Old High German mosa (“moor, swamp”), Old High German mos (“moss, bog”), Old High German mios (“moss, mire”), Old English mēos (“moss”), Old English mōs (“bog, marsh”), Old Norse mosi (“moss”), Old Norse myrr (“bog, mire”), from Proto-Germanic musą, musô, miuziz (“mosses, bog”), from Proto-Indo-European mews- (“mosses, mold, mildew”). Displaced native Old English swamm. More at mire. Alternatively, the Old French may be of pre-Roman origin. See Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom”). Doublet of moss and mousse.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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