basidiomycete
|ba-si-di-o-my-cete|
/ˌbæsɪdiəˈmaɪsiːt/
fungus with basidia
Etymology
'basidiomycete' originates from New Latin and modern scientific coinage, specifically formed from 'basidium' + 'mycete', where 'basidium' derived from Greek 'basidion' meaning 'little base' and 'mycete' derived from Greek 'mykēs' meaning 'fungus'.
'basidiomycete' was coined in New Latin in the late 19th century as the taxonomic name 'Basidiomycetes' (the class/division name) combining 'basidium' and the suffix '-mycete' from Greek 'mykēs', and it entered English scientific usage largely unchanged.
Initially it designated members of the taxonomic group Basidiomycetes; over time it has retained that specialized mycological meaning referring to fungi that form basidia.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a fungus belonging to the division Basidiomycota, characterized by producing sexual spores externally on a club-shaped cell called a basidium; includes mushrooms, rusts, smuts, puffballs, and shelf fungi.
Many edible mushrooms are basidiomycetes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/21 13:52