bracket fungus

noun

plural bracket fungi

: a polypore fungus (such as chicken of the woods) that is found chiefly on the trunks and limbs of trees and that forms tough, often woody fruiting bodies which are fanlike or shelflike in form

also : the fruiting body of a bracket fungus : conk entry 3

Note: The fungus and fruiting body are also called shelf fungi.

Examples of bracket fungus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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During a night hike in the tropics of Borneo, the photographer observed a bracket fungus releasing masses of spores which caused the refraction of light, while a cockroach feeds. —

Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of bracket fungus was in 1891

See more words from the same year

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Style

“Bracket fungus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bracket%20fungus. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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