fungi

¹

[ fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy ]

plural noun

1. a plural of fungus.

Fungi

²

[ fuhn-jahy, fuhng-gahy ]

noun

, (used with a plural verb)

1. a taxonomic kingdom, or in some classification schemes a division of the kingdom Plantae, comprising all the fungus groups and sometimes also the slime molds.

fungi-

³

1. a combining form representing fungus in compound words:

   fungicide.

fungi-

¹

combining_form

1. fungus

   fungoid

   fungicide

fungi

²

/ ˈfʌŋɡaɪ; ˈfʌndʒaɪ; ˈfʌndʒɪ /

noun

1. See fungus
   a plural of fungus

fungi

1. sing. fungus Plantlike organisms lacking chlorophyll , such as mushrooms, molds, yeasts, and mildews. Modern biologists tend to place fungi in their own kingdom , not in the plant kingdom , because they get their nutrients from other living things (or from the remains of living things that have died) rather than from photosynthesis . ( See under “Medicine and Health.” )

Word History and Origins

Origin of fungi¹

From New Latin; fungus

Example Sentences

Enter unassuming fungi: clean, plant-based solution that could possibly normalize blood sugar.

From The Daily Beast

They have long since been touted as medicinal fungi, boasting the ability to strengthen the immune system and lower cholesterol.

From The Daily Beast

All grains produce lectins, which selectively bind to unique proteins on the surfaces of bacteria, fungi, and insects.

From The Daily Beast

Turns out the fungi in our inguinal crease are not the same ones on our heel pad or behind our ear.

From The Daily Beast

After all, lots of infections course through the blood—viruses and bacteria and fungi.

From The Daily Beast

The whitish patches of pharyngomycosis leptothrica are largely composed of these fungi.

From Project Gutenberg

Other fungi were of dazzling whiteness, which Lejoillie likened to a casket of pearls, supported by an azure stalk.

From Project Gutenberg

But the oddest thing to us are the bunches of fungi, tawny-coloured, piled up in heaps, and evidently very popular!

From Project Gutenberg

Spores of parasitic fungi enter the cracks, germinate and infect the heartwood.

From Project Gutenberg

Popular discrimination between "toadstool" and "mushroom," 16-22;   popular distrust of fungi, 15.

From Project Gutenberg

Words That Use fungi-

What does fungi- mean?

The combining form fungi– is used like a prefix meaning “fungus.” It is occasionally used in scientific terms, especially in biology.

The form fungi– comes from Latin fungus, meaning “fungus.” It is possible that fungus is related to Greek spóngos, meaning “sponge,” by way of a long-lost substrate language of the Mediterranean.

What are variants of fungi-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, fungi– becomes fung-, as in fungemia.

Examples of fungi-

One example of a technical term that uses the form fungi– is fungicide, “a substance or preparation, as a spray or dust, used for destroying fungi.”

While fungi- means “fungus,” –cide refers to “killer,” from Latin -cīda. Fungicide literally translates to “fungus killer.”

What are some words that use the combining form fungi-?

• fungiform
• fungiform papilla
• fungistat
• fungitoxic
• fungivorous

What are some other forms that fungi– may be commonly confused with?

• fruct-
• fructi-

Not every word that begins with the exact letters fungi– or fung-, such as fungo or fungible, is necessarily using the combining form fungi– to denote “fungus.” Learn why fungible means “exchangeable” at our entry for the word.

Break it down!

The combining form –vorous means “eating” or “gaining sustenance from.” With this in mind, what does fungivorous mean?