puffball

2 synonyms for puffball, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A round fungus that releases a cloud of dust-like spores when its mature body is disturbed.

Synonyms

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

earthball dandelion clock

A round fungus that releases a cloud of dust-like spores when its mature body is disturbed.

“A giant puffball can grow to the size of a football in damp woodland.”

earthball

A dandelion flower once it has gone to seed and formed a round, fluffy head.

“The children blew on the puffball and scattered its seeds across the lawn.”

dandelion clock

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a giant puffball kick a puffball blow a puffball puffball mushroom

Puffball is an everyday, informal name rather than a scientific term for these fungi.

Puffball is a straightforward English compound, joining puff, for the burst of dust it releases, with ball, describing its round shape.

What is a puffball?

It is a round fungus that puffs out a cloud of spores when mature, or, in another sense, a dandelion head once it has gone to seed.

Can you eat a puffball?

Young puffball fungi are eaten while their flesh is still firm and white, before it darkens and turns to spores.

Why is it called a puffball?

The name describes both its round, ball-like shape and the visible puff of spores it releases when touched or squeezed.