What does puffball mean?
A puffball is a type of fungus whose rounded, closed fruiting body is filled with a mass of spores that are released in a cloud of dust when the mature fungus is pressed, struck, or hit by raindrops. Familiar examples include the common puffball and the giant puffball, which can grow as large as a football or bigger. Young specimens with firm, pure white flesh are widely regarded as edible, though they must be identified with care. Beyond mycology, the word also names a fashion silhouette: a short, gathered skirt, dress, or sleeve that balloons outward in a rounded shape, particularly associated with the 1980s. More loosely, it can describe any light, rounded, airy thing. The word is a straightforward compound of puff and ball, vividly capturing both the shape and the characteristic burst of spores. It is useful to foragers, naturalists, and writers who want a concrete, memorable image of something soft, round, and ready to disperse in a puff.
nounA fungus whose round fruiting body releases a cloud of brown spores when ripe and pressed or struck, especially species of Lycoperdon and Calvatia. In extended use, a light, airy, rounded thing, such as a type of pastry or a fluffy-skirted garment.
- A fungus with a round, closed fruiting body that releases spores in a puff of dust when mature, such as the giant puffball.
- A short, full, gathered skirt, dress, or sleeve with a rounded, balloon-like shape (as in a puffball skirt).
- A light, rounded, airy object or confection, such as a fluffy pastry or a dandelion-like seed head.
"Walking through the damp meadow, she nudged a ripe puffball with her boot and watched it exhale a brown cloud of spores."
"Young puffballs with pure white flesh inside are edible when sliced and fried in butter."
"The designer brought back the puffball skirt, its gathered hem tucked into a snug band."
"Kicked by a passing child, the old puffball burst into a smoky haze."
Regular plural formed by adding -s; used for both the fungi and the garments.
"We found three puffballs growing at the edge of the wood."
A mature puffball can release trillions of spores in a single cloud, which is why country folk once called some species devil's snuff-boxes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does puffball come from?
Puffball is a compound of the English words puff and ball, referring to the fungus's round shape and the puff of spores it emits. The word is attested in English from around the 17th century. Both elements are of Germanic origin: puff is imitative of a short blast of breath, and ball is related to Old Norse and other Germanic terms for a round object. The fashion sense is a later, 20th-century extension based on the rounded shape.
Related word forms
How puffball is actually used
In mycology and foraging contexts the word is neutral and technical. In fashion it often implies a retro or playful 1980s look. Figurative uses suggesting lightness or insubstantiality are informal and uncommon. Foragers should be careful to identify puffballs correctly, since immature poisonous mushrooms can resemble them when cut.
Easily confused with puffball
A pompom is a fluffy decorative ball of fibre or fabric, whereas a puffball is chiefly a fungus (or a rounded, gathered skirt or sleeve style).
A powder puff is a soft pad for applying cosmetic powder, not a fungus or a garment shape.