truffle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: truf=fle

CIDE DICTIONARY

truffle, n. [OF. trufle, F. truffe; akin to Sp. trufa, tartufo; of uncertain origin; perhaps from L. tuber a tumor, knob, truffle. Cf. Tuber, Trifle.].

 Any one of several kinds of roundish, subterranean fungi, usually of a blackish color. The French truffle (Tuber melanosporum) and the English truffle (Tuber æstivum) are much esteemed as articles of food.  [1913 Webster]
"When trained, certain pigs have a peculiar ability to smell truffles which lie underground, making them useful for searching out hidden truffles."  [1913 Webster]

Truffle worm (Zoöl.), the larva of a fly of the genus Leiodes, injurious to truffles.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

truffle, n.
1 any strong-smelling underground fungus of the order Tuberales, used as a culinary delicacy and found esp. in France by trained dogs or pigs.
2 a usu. round sweet made of chocolate mixture covered with cocoa etc.

Etymology

prob. f. Du. truffel f. obs. F truffle ult. f. L tubera pl. of TUBER