Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. An inedible or poisonous fungus with an umbrella-shaped fruiting body.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A common name for numerous umbrella-shaped fungi which grow abundantly on decaying vegetable matter. It is usually restricted to the genus Agaricus, but also is extended to various allied fungi, and, still further, is sometimes applied to almost any fungus thiit is large enough to attract general attention, such as Hydnum, Lycoperdon, Morehella, etc. Popularly, the name toadstool is applied only to those fungi supposed to be poisonous, as distinguished from
mushrooms , or edible forms, while as a matter of fact all true toadstools, belonging to the genus Agaricus or closely allied genera, are really mushrooms, and may or may not be poisonous. It frequently happens that an edible species is associated with a highly poisonous species, or grows in similar places, and can be distinguished only by a competent authority or by a careful microscopical examination. Also called toad's-cap, toad's-hat, toad's-meat, frogstool.
Wiktionary
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A name given to many umbrella-shaped fungi, mostly of the genus Agaricus. The species are almost numberless. They grow on decaying organic matter.
WordNet 3.0
- n. common name for an inedible or poisonous agaric (contrasting with the edible mushroom)
Examples
“Europeans believed that toads derived their poisons from the earth by eating mushrooms hence the English name toadstool.”
“As to my nose, I could absolutely see nothing of its shape; the firelight just caught the round tip, which shone like a little white toadstool from the gloom, and this was all.”
“And, indeed, sir," said Miss Betty, who had rubbed her nose till it looked like the twin toadstool to that which the baby was flourishing in her face, "you don't suppose I would have left the poor little thing another moment, to catch its death of cold on a”
“_ The first thing in deciding the nature of a toadstool is the sporeprint, made thus: Cut off the stem of the toadstool and lay the gills down on a piece of gray paper under a vessel of any kind.”
“I thought that thing you have in your hand was a new kind of toadstool, growing on the fence.”
“The classic 'toadstool' look with a red top and white dots it's very easy to spot.”
TravelPod.com TravelStream™ — Recent Entries at TravelPod.com
“If your head clerk says that our toadstool is a mushroom, while Mr. Bungwall's gardener says that our mushroom is”
“The boys always say that a toadstool is the old Squire's 'mark' on a log. ”
“But a dangerous toadstool can look just like a delectable one.”
“I don't think toadstool cheyney said this many words while he was vp.”
Lists
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