Puffball

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A rounded fungal organism that emits spores as it matures
2. A type of rounded mushroom known for dispersing its spores in a cloud when pressed or mature
3. A spherical fungus that releases spores into the air as it grows to full size

Etymology: A puffball gets its name from the most literal description possible: when a mature one is pressed or bumped, it releases a cloud of spores that looks like a puff of smoke. The word joins two plain English words, "puff" and "ball", and each does its own work. "Puff" comes from a Middle English root imitating a short burst of breath, while "ball" describes the fungus's rounded, often papery body. The compound says nothing about the mushroom's cap, gills or stem, because the fruiting body of many puffballs has none of these. Instead the spore-bearing mass is enclosed in a skin, and the spores only leave through a small opening or when the skin splits or is squeezed. The name therefore records the moment of release rather than the shape of the mushroom's anatomy.

Synonyms: fungus