Chanterelle
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A widely distributed edible mushroom, Cantharellus cibarius, being yellow and trumpet-shaped; or any similar mushroom of the genera Cantharellus, Polyozellus or Gomphus, not all of which are edible.
"Even the homely wood blewits, that you cook like tripe, with milk and onions, and the egg-yolk yellow chanterelle with its fan-vaulting and faint smell of apricots, all spring up overnight like bubbles of earth, unsustained by nature, existing in a void."
- 2 widely distributed edible mushroom rich yellow in color with a smooth cap and a pleasant apricot aroma wordnet
- 3 The highest string of the violin or similar instrument.
"There were hushed moments of complete beauty when the melody moved out and hung above the chanterelle like a hummingbird poised over a flower."
Example
More examples"Even the homely wood blewits, that you cook like tripe, with milk and onions, and the egg-yolk yellow chanterelle with its fan-vaulting and faint smell of apricots, all spring up overnight like bubbles of earth, unsustained by nature, existing in a void."
Etymology
Borrowed from French chanterelle, from New Latin cantharellus, diminutive of Latin cantharus (“drinking vessel”), from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos). Probably of Pre-Greek origin, cognate with Akkadian 𒃶𒁺𒊒𒌑 (/kanduru/, “kind of vessel”), from Sumerian 𒄑𒃶𒉡𒌉 (/gannu-tur/, “small vessel; potstand”, literally “little vessel, container, holder”).
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.