Illustration of amanita
amanita
noun
am·a·ni·ta
ˌa-mə-ˈnī-tə 
-ˈnē-
-ˈnē-
: any of a genus (Amanita) of white-spored basidiomycetous fungi that typically have a volva and an annulus about the stipe and include some deadly poisonous forms
Examples of amanita in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Death cap mushrooms earned their name because of their amanita toxins, which cause organ failure within days of consumption.
—
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Its night and day hawk-life, slope-life, fogs, coyote, tan oaks,
white-speckled amanita.
—Jane Hirshfield, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
Some victims got off relatively easy, like four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital — the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning.
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017
A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap - or amanita phalloides - last December:
Violent nausea, in all cases.
—The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 3 June 2017
A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap — or amanita phalloides — last December:
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017
Some victims got off relatively easy, including four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital - the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning.
—Avi Selk, chicagotribune.com, 3 June 2017
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Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025
Its night and day hawk-life, slope-life, fogs, coyote, tan oaks,
white-speckled amanita.
—Jane Hirshfield, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
Some victims got off relatively easy, like four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital — the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning.
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017
A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap - or amanita phalloides - last December:
Violent nausea, in all cases.
—The Washington Post, NOLA.com, 3 June 2017
A new federal report detailed what came after consumption for 14 people who sampled the Bay Area's bloom of death cap — or amanita phalloides — last December:
—Avi Selk, Washington Post, 3 June 2017
Some victims got off relatively easy, including four young men who had expected a psychedelic trip but ended up having their insides washed out with fluids in a hospital - the only known treatment for amanita phalloides poisoning.
—Avi Selk, chicagotribune.com, 3 June 2017
Cite this Entry
“Amanita.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amanita. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
amanita
noun
am·a·ni·ta
ˌam-ə-ˈnīt-ə
-ˈnēt-
-ˈnēt-
: any of various mostly poisonous fungi with white spores and a globe-shaped swelling about the base of the stem
Medical Definition
amanita
noun
am·a·ni·ta
ˌam-ə-ˈnīt-ə
-ˈnēt-
-ˈnēt-
1
capitalized
: a genus of widely distributed white-spored basidiomycetous fungi (family Amanitaceae) that includes some deadly poisonous forms (as the death cap)
2
: a fungus of the genus Amanita
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