1.
[syn: agaric, Fomes igniarius]
2. a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Agaric \Ag"a*ric\ (?; 277), n. [L. agaricum, Gr. ?, said to be
fr. Agara, a town in Sarmatia.]
1. (Bot.) A fungus of the genus Agaricus, of many species,
of which the common mushroom is an example.
[1913 Webster]
2. An old name for several species of Polyporus, corky
fungi growing on decaying wood.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The "female agaric" (Polyporus officinalis) was
renowned as a cathartic; the "male agaric" (Polyporus
igniarius) is used for preparing touchwood, called
punk or German tinder.
[1913 Webster]
Agaric mineral, a light, chalky deposit of carbonate of
lime, sometimes called rock milk, formed in caverns or
fissures of limestone.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
agaric
n 1: fungus used in the preparation of punk for fuses [syn:
agaric, Fomes igniarius]
2: a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an
umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside