Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of stinkhorn fungus: "dog stinkhorn" refers to a specific fungus of the stinkhorn family, characterized by a stalk that lacks a distinct cap. Its spore-bearing, slimy mass (gleba) is directly smeared onto the upper part of the stalk, attracting flies and other insects for spore dispersal.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • We found a dog stinkhorn growing in the damp leaf litter.
  • The foul odor of the dog stinkhorn is designed to attract insects.

Advanced Usage

• "to resemble a dog stinkhorn": used figuratively to describe something with an unpleasant, slimy, or phallic appearance.
  • The strange, slimy sculpture in the garden looked like a dog stinkhorn.

Variants and Related Words

• Stinkhorn (n): the common name for the family of fungi (Phallaceae) to which the dog stinkhorn belongs, all known for their foul-smelling, slimy gleba.
  • Several types of stinkhorn can be found in this forest.

Synonyms

• Mutinus caninus: the scientific (Latin) name for the dog stinkhorn fungus.

Related Phrases

• Phallic fungus: a descriptive, non-scientific term sometimes used for stinkhorns due to their shape.
  • Due to its shape, the dog stinkhorn is often categorized as a phallic fungus.

Noun

1. a stinkhorn having a stalk without a cap; the slimy gleba is simply plastered on its surface near the apex where winged insects can find it