Agaric

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [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]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  agaric
       n 1: fungus used in the preparation of punk for fuses [syn: {Fomes
            igniarius}]
       2: a saprophytic fungus of the order Agaricales having an
          umbrellalike cap with gills on the underside