Library / English Dictionary

PUFFBALL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of various fungi of the genus Scleroderma having hard-skinned subterranean fruiting bodies resembling truffles

Synonyms:

earthball; false truffle; hard-skinned puffball; puffball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("puffball" is a kind of...):

fungus (an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "puffball"):

Scleroderma aurantium; Scleroderma citrinum (an earthball fungus that is a dingy brownish yellow and a dark purplish interior; the peridium is covered with a pattern of small warts)

Scleroderma flavidium; star earthball (an earthball with a smooth upper surface that is at first buried in sand; the top of the fruiting body opens up to form segments like the ray of an umbel)

Scleroderma bovista; smooth earthball (an earthball with a peridium that is firm dry and smooth when young but developing cracks when mature; pale orange-yellow when young and reddish brown at maturity)

Holonyms ("puffball" is a member of...):

genus Scleroderma; Scleroderma (genus of poisonous fungi having hard-skinned fruiting bodies: false truffles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any of various fungi of the family Lycoperdaceae whose round fruiting body discharges a cloud of spores when mature

Synonyms:

puffball; true puffball

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("puffball" is a kind of...):

fungus (an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "puffball"):

Calvatia gigantea; giant puffball (huge edible puffball up to 2 feet diameter and 25 pounds in weight)

Holonyms ("puffball" is a member of...):

family Lycoperdaceae; Lycoperdaceae (a fungus family belonging to the order Lycoperdales; includes puffballs)

Credits