Ascomycete

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of fungi noted for producing spores inside a specialized sac structure known as an ascus
2. This classification of organisms includes those fungi that generate spores within a cylindrical, protective casing
3. A diverse group of fungi characterized by the formation of spores in a sac-like structure called an ascus

Etymology: The word "ascomycete" began as a formal name for a whole group of fungi. The taxonomic name Ascomycetes, coined from Greek roots, was the older label for what is now called Ascomycota, and English speakers later reanalyzed that Latinized plural as an ordinary common noun. In other words, a scientist's classification term slid into everyday naming and came to refer to any member of the group. The name is built from two Greek-derived parts. "Asco-" comes from the Greek "askos," meaning a wineskin or leather bag, and it refers to the sac-like structure, the ascus, in which these fungi produce their spores. "-mycete" comes from the Greek "mykes," meaning fungus. Put together, the name describes fungi that make spores inside a bag-shaped casing.