chanterelle means 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.
chanterelle is pronounced /ˈtʃæntəɹɛl/.
Why “chanterelle” is a great word
An edible, trumpet-shaped mushroom, typically yellow to orange, of the genus Cantharellus. From French chanterelle, from New Latin cantharellus (diminutive of Latin cantharus, "drinking vessel, tankard"), from Ancient Greek κάνθαρος (kántharos, "tankard, cup"), probably of Pre-Greek origin, with cognates in Akkadian and Sumerian. Unlike the pitted, honeycombed morel or the coiled, unfurling fiddlehead, the chanterelle is a smooth, fluted funnel of pure fungus. It is the gilded goblet emerging from damp moss, the scent of apricots on a forest floor, the stubborn gold that refuses to be cultivated—edible sunlight held in a cup that has cradled the idea of containment long before language named it.
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”).
noun
- 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.
- The highest string of the violin or similar instrument.e.g.“There were hushed moments of complete beauty when the melody moved out and hung above the chanterelle like a hummingbird poised over a flower.” — 2003, Paul Bowles, edited by Timothy Mangan and Irene Herrmann, Paul Bowles on Music, University of California Press, →ISBN, page 123:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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