: any of various globose and often edible fungi (especially family Lycoperdaceae) that discharge mature spores in a smokelike cloud when pressed or struck
Examples of puffball in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The triangular 1980s jackets with jutting shoulders, and precisely angled gaucho hats were weirdly galactic, while the puffballs of evening taffetas had go-go-decade references in their swirls.
—
Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 7 June 2024
The former offers a pastoral vision of the interwar Japanese suburbs while the latter’s main draw is watching Richard Gere tend to a darling puffball for 100 minutes.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2024
Her hair was frizzed out into a big puffball and her fake lashes were furry black caterpillar quality.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2023
There is a pink puffball with the ability to inhale objects as large as semi trucks and an intrepid explorer commanding an army of sentient plants.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Released from a fungus’s reproductive structures (or fruiting bodies), spores carry instructions for a future Shiitake, puffball, bread mold, plant rust, or brain pathogen.
—Emily Monosson, Time, 11 July 2023
While that cloud may look toxic, most puffballs are safe to eat.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 11 May 2023
Not every type of puffball is a delight.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 7 Dec. 2020
Across his grotesque torso are moist, rubbery pustules that look a bit like puffball mushrooms (which, in the hands of a good chef, actually are quite tasty).
—Don Steinberg, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2023
Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 7 June 2024
The former offers a pastoral vision of the interwar Japanese suburbs while the latter’s main draw is watching Richard Gere tend to a darling puffball for 100 minutes.
—Charles Bramesco, Vulture, 5 Feb. 2024
Her hair was frizzed out into a big puffball and her fake lashes were furry black caterpillar quality.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Aug. 2023
There is a pink puffball with the ability to inhale objects as large as semi trucks and an intrepid explorer commanding an army of sentient plants.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023
Released from a fungus’s reproductive structures (or fruiting bodies), spores carry instructions for a future Shiitake, puffball, bread mold, plant rust, or brain pathogen.
—Emily Monosson, Time, 11 July 2023
While that cloud may look toxic, most puffballs are safe to eat.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 11 May 2023
Not every type of puffball is a delight.
—Bill Heavey, Field & Stream, 7 Dec. 2020
Across his grotesque torso are moist, rubbery pustules that look a bit like puffball mushrooms (which, in the hands of a good chef, actually are quite tasty).
—Don Steinberg, WSJ, 11 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puffball.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Puffball.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puffball. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
puffball
noun
puff·ball
ˈpəf-ˌbȯl 
: any of various often edible globe-shaped fungi that release ripe spores in a cloud resembling smoke when they are touched
Medical Definition
puffball
noun
puff·ball
ˈpəf-ˌbȯl
: any of various globose and often edible fungi (especially family Lycoperdaceae) that discharge ripe spores in a smokelike cloud when pressed or struck
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