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fruiting body
noun
plural fruiting bodies
: a structure (as of a moss or liverwort) specialized for producing spores
especially
: the spore-producing organ of a fungus or slime mold : sporophore
Examples of fruiting body in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Invigorated by the damp, fungi living quietly in the soil sprout fruiting bodies.
—Rachel Bujalski Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 11 June 2024
Technically not mushrooms, which have a cap and stalk, the fruiting bodies are blob- to cup-shaped, while the fungus itself lives hidden underground.
—The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 May 2024
Some of these organisms, living as a network of threads hidden in the soil, may not have sent up a fruiting body in years.
—Rachel Bujalski Veronique Greenwood, New York Times, 11 June 2024
Sometimes delicious, sometimes deadly, sometimes trippy, mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of certain types of fungi.
—Popsci Staff, Popular Science, 8 May 2024
Mushroom fruiting bodies provide the vast majority of the polysaccharides, beta-glucans, minerals and all the other beneficial compounds that are neuroprotective, support the immune system and make fungi so good for us.
—Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2023
In time fruiting bodies pop out dotting the bread’s surface.
—Emily Monosson, Time, 11 July 2023
This cohort wants the FDA to label mushroom products made with fruiting bodies differently than those made with mycelium and substrate.
—Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023
The initial more brightly colored mass will eventually turn to a more of a brown, leathery mass with crusty-looking fruiting bodies that are filled with spores.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fruiting body.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1887, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near fruiting body
Cite this Entry
“Fruiting body.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruiting%20body. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
fruiting body
noun
: a plant organ specialized for producing spores
Medical Definition
fruiting body
noun
fruit·ing body
ˈfrüt-iŋ-
: a plant organ specialized for producing spores
especially
: sporophore
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