fungus(n = noun.plant) - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia;
is a kind of being, organism
has parts: cap, pileus, volva, hymenium, mycelium
is a member of fungi, fungus kingdom, kingdom fungi
has particulars: ceratostomella ulmi, dutch elm fungus, claviceps purpurea, ergot, black root rot fungus, xylaria mali, dead-man's-fingers, dead-men's-fingers, xylaria polymorpha, sclerotinia, earthball, false truffle, hard-skinned puffball, puffball, stalked puffball, false truffle, slime mold, slime mould, pond-scum parasite, potato wart fungus, synchytrium endobioticum, saprolegnia ferax, white fungus, white rust, pythium, phytophthora citrophthora, phytophthora infestans, clubroot fungus, plasmodiophora brassicae, earth-ball, earthnut, truffle, coral fungus, tooth fungus, lichen, true fungus, basidiomycete, basidiomycetous fungi, chinese black mushroom, golden oak mushroom, lentinus edodes, oriental black mushroom, shiitake, shiitake mushroom, lentinus lepideus, scaly lentinus, corticium salmonicolor, pink disease fungus, bottom rot fungus, corticium solani, pellicularia filamentosa, potato fungus, rhizoctinia solani, coffee fungus, pellicularia koleroga, volvaria bombycina, sac fungus, ascomycete, ascomycetous fungus, yeast, aspergillus fumigatus, brown root rot fungus, thielavia basicola, wynnea americana, wynnea sparassoides, false morel, lorchel, gyromitra, gasteromycete, gastromycete, carrion fungus, stinkhorn, puffball, true puffball, earthstar, radiigera fuscogleba, bird's-nest fungus, gastrocybe lateritia, macowanites americanus, gastroboletus scabrosus, gastroboletus turbinatus, grifola frondosa, hen-of-the-woods, hen of the woods, polyporus frondosus, agaric, fomes igniarius, bolete, jelly fungus, rust, rust fungus, smut, smut fungus, felt fungus, septobasidium pseudopedicellatum, mold, mould, mildew, verticillium, monilia, candida, blastomycete, cercospora kopkei, yellow spot fungus, green smut fungus, ustilaginoidea virens, dry rot, rhizoctinia, earth-tongue, earthtongue
Derived forms adjective fungal₁, adjective fungous₁

1.  Any one of the Fungi, a large and very complex group of thallophytes of low organization, -- the molds, mildews, rusts, smuts, mushrooms, toadstools, puff balls, and the allies of each. See fungi. [1913 Webster]
" The fungi are all destitute of chorophyll, and, therefore, to be supplied with elaborated nourishment, must live as saprophytes or parasites. They range in size from single microscopic cells to systems of entangled threads many feet in extent, which develop reproductive bodies as large as a man's head. The vegetative system consists of septate or rarely unseptate filaments called hyphFungi, in the Supplement." [1913 Webster]

2.  A spongy, morbid growth or granulation in animal bodies, as the proud flesh of wounds. Hoblyn. [1913 Webster]

fungus, n. (pl. fungi or funguses)
1 any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or multinucleate non-photosynthetic organisms feeding on organic matter, which include moulds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.
2 anything similar usu. growing suddenly and rapidly.
3 Med. a spongy morbid growth.
4 sl. a beard.

Derivative:
fungal adj. fungiform adj. fungivorous adj.

Etymology:
L, perh. f. Gk sp(h)oggos SPONGE

N  bane, curse, evil, hurtfulness, painfulness, scourge, damnosa hereditas, white elephant, sting, fang, thorn, tang, bramble, brier, nettle, poison, toxin, teratogen, leaven, virus venom, arsenic, antimony, tartar emetic, strychnine, nicotine, miasma, miasm, mephitis, malaria, azote, sewer gas, pest, Albany hemp, arsenious oxide, arsenious acid, bichloride of mercury, carbonic acid, carbonic gas, choke damp, corrosive sublimate, fire damp, hydrocyanic acid, cyanide, Prussic acid, hydrogen cyanide, marsh gas, nux vomica, ratsbane, hemlock, hellebore, nightshade, belladonna, henbane, aconite, banewort, bhang, ganja, hashish, Upas tree, Toxline (online), rust, worm, helminth, moth, moth and rust, fungus, mildew, dry rot, canker, cankerworm, cancer, torpedo, viper, demon, toxicology, baneful, poisonous, phr, bibere venenum in auro, Contingent Subservience.

N  convexity, prominence, projection, swelling, gibbosity, bilge, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, camber, cahot, thank-ye-ma'am, swell, intumescence, tumour, tumor, tubercle, tuberosity, excrescence, hump, hunch, bunch, boss, embossment, hub, hubble, tooth, knob, elbow, process, apophysis, condyle, bulb, node, nodule, nodosity, tongue, dorsum, bump, clump, sugar loaf, bow, mamelon, molar, belly, corporation, pot belly, gut, withers, back, shoulder, lip, flange, pimple, zit, wen, wheel, papula, pustule, pock, proud flesh, growth, sarcoma, caruncle, corn, wart, pappiloma, furuncle, polypus, fungus, fungosity, exostosis, bleb, blister, blain, boil, airbubble, blob, papule, verruca, papilla, nipple, teat, tit, titty, boob, knocker, pap, breast, dug, mammilla, proboscis, nose, neb, beak, snout, nozzle, schnoz, peg, button, stud, ridge, rib, jutty, trunnion, snag, cupola, dome, arch, balcony, eaves, pilaster, relief, relievo, cameo, bassorilievo, mezzorilevo, altorivievo, low relief, bas relief, high relief, hill, cape, promontory, mull, forehead, foreland, point of land, mole, jetty, hummock, ledge, spur, naze, ness, convex, prominent, protuberant, projecting, bossed, embossed, bossy, nodular, bunchy, clavate, clavated, claviform, hummocky, moutonne, mammiliform, papulous, papilose, hemispheric, bulbous, bowed, arched, bold, bellied, tuberous, tuberculous, tumous, cornute, odontoid, lentiform, lenticular, gibbous, club shaped, hubby, hubbly, knobby, papillose, saddle-shaped, selliform, subclavate, torose, ventricose, verrucose, salient, in relief, raised, repousse, bloated, (expanded).

N  vegetable, vegetable kingdom, flora, verdure, plant, tree, shrub, bush, creeper, herb, herbage, grass, annual, perennial, biennial, triennial, exotic, timber, forest, wood, woodlands, timberland, hurst, frith, holt, weald, park, chase, greenwood, brake, grove, copse, coppice, bocage, tope, clump of trees, thicket, spinet, spinney, underwood, brushwood, scrub, boscage, bosk, ceja, chaparal, motte, arboretum, bush, jungle, prairie, heath, heather, fern, bracken, furze, gorse, whin, grass, turf, pasture, pasturage, turbary, sedge, rush, weed, fungus, mushroom, toadstool, lichen, moss, conferva, mold, growth, alfalfa, alfilaria, banyan, blow, blowth, floret, petiole, pin grass, timothy, yam, yew, zinnia, foliage, branch, bough, ramage, stem, tigella, spray, leaf, flower, blossom, bine, flowering plant, timber tree, fruit tree, pulse, legume, vegetable, vegetal, vegetive, vegitous, herbaceous, herbal, botanic, sylvan, silvan, arborary, arboreous, arborescent, arborical, woody, grassy, verdant, verdurous, floral, mossy, lignous, ligneous, wooden, leguminous, vosky, cespitose, turf-like, turfy, endogenous, exogenous, green-robed senators of mighty woods, this is the forest primeval.

N  fetor, bad, smell, bad odor, stench, stink, foul odor, malodor, empyreuma, mustiness, rancidity, foulness, stoat, polecat, skunk, assafoetida, fungus, garlic, stinkpot, fitchet, fitchew, fourmart, peccary, acridity, fetid, strong-smelling, high, bad, strong, fulsome, offensive, noisome, rank, rancid, reasty, tainted, musty, fusty, frouzy, olid, olidous, nidorous, smelling, stinking, putrid, suffocating, mephitic, empyreumatic.

ascomycetous fungus, beefsteak fungus, bird's-nest fungus, black root rot fungus, blue mold fungus, bottom rot fungus, bracket fungus, brown root rot fungus, carrion fungus, club fungus, clubroot fungus, coffee fungus, coral fungus, cup fungus, damping off fungus, dutch elm fungus, ear fungus, face fungus, felt fungus, flag smut fungus, flax rust fungus, fly fungus, fungus family, fungus genus, fungus gnat, fungus kingdom, fungus order, gill fungus, green smut fungus, honey fungus, jack-o-lantern fungus, jelly fungus, leak fungus, orange peel fungus, oyster fungus, pink disease fungus, pore fungus, potato fungus, potato wart fungus, ring rot fungus, ring-stalked fungus, rust fungus, sac fungus, shelf fungus, shoestring fungus, smut fungus, tooth fungus, true fungus, urn fungus, white fungus, yellow spot fungus