mycelium

noun

my·​ce·​li·​um mī-ˈsē-lē-əm How to pronounce mycelium (audio)
plural mycelia mī-ˈsē-lē-ə How to pronounce mycelium (audio)
: the mass of interwoven filamentous hyphae that forms especially the vegetative portion of the thallus of a fungus and is often submerged in another body (as of soil or organic matter or the tissues of a host)
also : a similar mass of filaments formed by some bacteria (such as streptomyces)
mycelial adjective

Examples of mycelium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For example, products made with mycelium benefit the planet as a whole and not just the people who use the products. Eva Amsen, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 When the leaves are wet or humidity is high, small amounts of gray cottony growth, called mycelium, may appear. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 June 2025 Under an inflatable shell, they would be made of mycelium, a root-like fungal structure, something of an alternative building material heroine, lauded for its durability; versatility; and water-, mold-, and fire-resistant properties. Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 25 June 2025 Firstly, that mushrooms do not contain starch, but supplements consisting of mycelium grown on grain does. Mattha Busby, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for mycelium

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from myc- (from base of Greek mykēt-, mýkēs "mushroom, fungus") + -el- (of unknown origin) + -ium -ium — more at myco-

Note: Term introduced by the Austrian botanist and mycologist Leopold Trattinnick (1764-1849) in Fungi Austriaci, ad specimina viva cera expressi descriptiones ac historiam naturalem completam addidit Leopoldus Trattinnick/Oesterreichs Schwämme, nach lebendigen Originalen in Wachs gearbeitet mit Beschreibungen und einer ausführlichen Naturgeschichte, 1. Lieferung (Vienna, 1804). Trattinnick, who uses the word throughout the work, gives no indication of its derivation. His translation in the parallel vernacular columns is Schwammgewächs, literally, "mushroom growth." The reading of -el- as Greek hêlos "nail head, wart, callus," apparently first proposed in the Century Dictionary and copied by many dictionaries since, is improbable and in any case purely speculative. Somewhat more probable is the suggestion in the Oxford English Dictionary that the interposed -l- is after epithelium.

First Known Use

1836, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mycelium was in 1836

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Cite this Entry

“Mycelium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mycelium. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

mycelium

noun
my·​ce·​li·​um mī-ˈsē-lē-əm How to pronounce mycelium (audio)
plural mycelia
-lē-ə
: the part of the body of a fungus that does not reproduce and usually consists of a mass of hyphae that are often growing in something else (as soil, organic matter, or the tissues of a plant or animal host)
mycelial adjective

Medical Definition

mycelium

noun
my·​ce·​li·​um mī-ˈsē-lē-əm How to pronounce mycelium (audio)
plural mycelia -lē-ə How to pronounce mycelium (audio)
: the mass of interwoven filamentous hyphae that forms especially the vegetative body of a fungus and is often submerged in another body (as of soil or organic matter or the tissues of a host)
also : a similar mass of filaments formed by some bacteria (as of the genus Streptomyces)

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