agaric

Noun
Synonyms: Fomes igniarius

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. fungus used in the preparation of punk for fusesSynonyms: Fomes igniarius
  2. a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside
Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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]

Advertisement