Hymenomycete

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A basidiomycete fungus belonging to the class Hymenomycetes, whose spore-bearing hymenium is typically exposed on gills, pores or teeth
2. Any member of the fungal class Hymenomycetes, including mushrooms and bracket fungi that produce spores on a layer of exposed tissue
3. A mushroom-forming or bracket-forming fungus classified within Hymenomycetes, distinguished by a spore-producing hymenium on its fruiting body

Etymology: Its first half comes from Greek "hymen", which meant a membrane or thin skin. The fungal sense refers to the spore-bearing layer on the gills or pores of many mushrooms, called the hymenium, which is a membrane in the same sense. The anatomical meaning in English is a different development from the same Greek word. The second half is Greek "mykes", meaning fungus, and the ending "-ete" comes from the Greek "-ētēs", denoting a member of a group. "Hymenomycetes" is a New Latin name for a large group of fungi, mostly gilled mushrooms, bracket fungi and their relatives, and "hymenomycete" is a single member of that group.