What does mycoses mean?
Mycoses is the plural form of mycosis and refers to diseases caused by fungi. These infections may be limited to superficial tissues, such as the skin, hair, and nails, or may affect deeper structures and organs. Athlete’s foot is a familiar example, while other mycoses can be more serious, including infections that involve the lungs or other internal systems. The word is chiefly used in medical, dermatological, and biological contexts rather than everyday conversation. Mycoses is useful because it names a broad category of illness according to its cause, fungal infection, while more specific terms can identify the organism involved or the part of the body affected. In general reference works, it is usually presented as a technical plural alongside the singular mycosis.
noun (plural)Mycoses are fungal infections or diseases affecting the body. The term can refer to infections of the skin, hair, nails, or internal organs.
- Mycoses are fungal infections or diseases affecting the skin, hair, nails, or internal organs.
"The patient was treated for several mycoses affecting the skin and nails."
"The clinic specializes in diagnosing and treating common mycoses."
"Severe mycoses can require long-term antifungal medication."
The standard plural of the singular noun mycosis.
"The study examined fungal mycoses in patients with weakened immune systems."
Mycoses name the body’s fungal infections, ranging from familiar conditions such as athlete’s foot to serious infections that can affect internal organs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mycoses come from?
The term comes from the Greek mykēs, meaning “fungus” or “mushroom,” combined with the suffix -osis, used in the formation of words denoting a condition or disease. The related forms mycology, mycologist, and mycotic developed from the same Greek root. In English, mycosis refers to a fungal disease, and mycoses is its established plural.
Related word forms
How mycoses is actually used
The plural is standard in medical usage. The related singular, mycosis, is often used when describing a particular fungal disease, while mycoses refers to such conditions collectively or to multiple infections.
Easily confused with mycoses
Mycosis is the singular form; mycoses is its usual plural, used especially in medical and scientific contexts.