cordyceps

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UK/ˈkɔːdɪsɛps/US/ˈkɔɹdəsɛps/

noun

Any of the fungi of the genus Cordyceps, a genus of endoparasitoid sac fungi.

Origintranslingual Cordyceps ← Ancient Greek κορδῡ́λη →
UncommonScrabble 19
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Meanings

nouncordyceps (plural cordyceps)
  1. Any of the fungi of the genus Cordyceps, a genus of endoparasitoid sac fungi.

    Consequently, pharmacological compounds in cordyceps may be associated with neurotrophic effects, which regulate behavioral sensitization and reward circuits of drug addiction.

    2015 July 14, Minsook Ye et al., “Paecilomycies japonica reduces repeated nicotine-induced neuronal and behavioral activation in rats”, in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, volume 15, →DOI

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκορδῡ́λη“club”
  2. translingualCordyceps
  3. Englishcordyceps

Borrowed from translingual Cordyceps, from Ancient Greek κορδῡ́λη (kordū́lē, “club”) + -ceps (“headed”).

More words from translingual, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish loisikka
  • loisikkafungi of the genus Cordyceps
French cordyceps
  • cordycepsfungi of the genus Cordyceps
German Raupenpilz
  • Raupenpilzfungi of the genus Cordyceps
Turkish tırtıl mantarı
  • tırtıl mantarıfungi of the genus Cordyceps
Cite this entry
APA

cordyceps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cordyceps

MLA

“cordyceps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cordyceps. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cordyceps,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cordyceps.

Source: cordyceps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.