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

They support more life than any other native tree species in the UK, hosting more than 2,300 species, including birds, mammals, insects, fungi, and lichens.

From BBC

Some nasties, including dioxins, can be broken down by fungi and microbes.

From Los Angeles Times

Other companies also use bacteria or fungi to produce casein.

From BBC

He quizzed her on the source of the fungi included in her home-cooked dish.

From BBC

Pointing to cell phone tracking data, the prosecution alleged that Erin Patterson went to both to forage for the lethal fungi.

From BBC

When To Use

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.