basidium

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ba=sid=i=um

CIDE DICTIONARY

basidium, n. [NL., dim. of Gr. ba`sis base.].

 A special oblong or pyriform cell, with slender branches, which bears the spores in that division of fungi called Basidiomycetes, of which the common mushroom is an example.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

basidium, n. (pl. basidia) a microscopic spore-bearing structure produced by certain fungi.

Etymology

mod.L f. Gk basidion dimin. of BASIS