puffball

Everyday

1. A round fungus (mushroom) without a cap or stalk, white or brown, that bursts and puffs out a cloud of spores like dust when it is old. tree →
2. Anything round, soft and fluffy, like a dandelion clock or a fluffy chick (informal). tree →

In the lessons

In nature lessons, puffballs show how fungi spread spores. Giant puffballs can grow as big as a football. In stories, a puffball can be a fluffy pet or a cloud. Safety: only experts should pick fungi to eat. Phrases: «giant puffball», «puff of spores».

Examples

• When I stepped on the puffball, a brown cloud of spores came out. tree →
• We found a giant puffball in the field. tree →
• Puffballs spread their spores in the wind. tree →
• The kitten was a tiny white puffball. tree →
• Never eat a wild puffball unless an expert checks it. tree →
• Puffballs have no gills like other mushrooms. tree →

Note

Countable; one word. Safety: some young poisonous mushrooms look like puffballs, so do not touch or eat wild fungi without an adult expert. The «smoke» is millions of spores, not smoke.