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

   fungicide

   fungoid

fungi

²

/ ˈfʌndʒaɪ; ˈfʌndʒɪ; ˈfʌŋɡaɪ /

noun

1. 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

Fungi, insects, fires and cervids, such as moose, are examples of natural factors behind tree damages in Swedish forests.

From Science Daily

The results show that wind and snow are the most common causes of tree damage, followed by forestry and then fungi.

From Science Daily

Tests with other organisms showed that the method can even replicate the root structure of fungi, called hyphae.

From Science Daily

These aspects included: seven biodiversity indicators, considering arthropods and birds in the canopy to fungi and creatures in the soil; eight ecosystem functions, including processes involved in nutrient cycling, such as the amount of carbon or nitrogen in the soil or the biomass of the trees aboveground; and six economic functions, such as current and short-term economic return, tree survival and volume of wood in the future.

From Science Daily

"We've known for many years that fungi are nature's degraders," said Hill-Maini, noting that fungi used to reduce streams of food waste could be the "most efficient way to convert waste into human food."

From Salon

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?