-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
destroying angel
noun
: any of several very poisonous pure white amanita mushrooms (such as Amanita verna or A. virosa) : death cap
Examples of destroying angel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deadly mushrooms in Marin The most dangerous varieties found in Marin — for both dogs and people — are the death cap (Amanita phalloides) and destroying angel (Amanita ocreata).
—
Julia Lamont, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2024
Read more: Beware of deadly wild mushrooms: Portage County man survives poisoning, thanks to experimental drug at UH - cleveland.com
In common parlance, these mushrooms are referred to as destroying angels or death cap mushrooms.
—
Gretchen Cuda Kroen, cleveland, 2 Sep. 2023
Additionally, Amanita muscaria are often confused with relatives: deadly impostors known as the death cap and the destroying angel.
—
Joanna Klein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2017
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'destroying angel.' 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
circa 1900, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of destroying angel was
circa 1900
Dictionary Entries Near destroying angel
Cite this Entry
“Destroying angel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destroying%20angel. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Medical Definition
destroying angel
noun
de·stroy·ing an·gel
di-ˌstrȯi(-i)ŋ-ˈān-jəl
: any of several very poisonous pure white mushrooms of the genus Amanita (as A. verna, A. virosa, or A. ocreata)
also
: a death cap (A. phalloides) whether white or colored
More from Merriam-Webster on destroying angel
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about destroying angel
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share