Dictionary

ergot en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈəːɡɒt/
• /ˈəɹˌɡɑt/
• /ˈəːɡət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈɚɡɪʔt̚]
• /ɛɹˈɡoʊ/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈəɹɡət/ (General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from French ergot.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses.
2. (countable, uncountable) The sclerotium (wintering stage) of certain fungi in the genus Claviceps, appearing as a deformed grain in certain cereals and grasses infected by the fungi.
   • Ergot first appeared on the stage of history in the early Middle Ages, as the cause of outbreaks of mass poisonings affecting thousands of persons at a time. The illness, whose connection with ergot was for a long time obscure, appeared in two characteristic forms, one gangrenous (ergotismus gangraenosus) and the other convulsive (ergotismus convulsivus). 1980, Albert Hofmann, chapter 1, in Jonathan Ott, transl., LSD, My Problem Child, McGraw-Hill, →ISBN, archived from the original on 22 May 2016:
3. (countable, uncountable) The wart-like growth of skin that covers the metacarpal pad on a horse or similar animal.
   • Place the end of a length of string at the fetlock joint (near the ergot, the tubular growth on the back of the fetlock joint, hidden within the hair tuft). 2016, Gary Mullen, Horses: Amazing Facts and Trivia, page 102:
   • It is crossed medially and laterally by the ligament of the ergot (not shown), that, subcutaneously, connects the ergot with the hoof cartilage. 2003, Klaus-Dieter Budras, W. O. Sack, Sabine Rock, Anatomy of the Horse: An Illustrated Text, page 8:
   • Since the text was in type, Mr. R. I. Pocock has pointed out (The Field, Jan. 20, 1912, p. 143) that the aperture of a scent-gland situated on the posterior aspect of the hind-foot of the Indian rhinoceros occupies a position very nearly similar to that of the ergot in the foot of the horse (infra, p. 41). 1912, Richard Lydekker, The Horse and Its Relatives, page vi:

Forms

Deriveds

lysergic · ergotize · ergosterol · ergotoxine · ergotic · ergotamine · ergotine · ergotization · ergotism · ergoted · ergotin

Relateds

sclerotium

Translations (56)

gl caruncho (deformed grain) · gl cornello (deformed grain) · udm мумыӟег (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · udm анайӟег (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gag rastık (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl caruncho (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · grc ἐμπυρισμός (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · es cornezuelo (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · ga eargót (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · es cornezuelo (deformed grain) · pl sporysz (deformed grain) · cy mallryg (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · de Mutterkorn (deformed grain) · pl buławinka (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · pt cravagem (deformed grain) · mhr уржава (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · es polvillo (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · mrj ӓвӓ ыржа (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · kk қастауыш (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · mhr шемуржа (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · hu varjúköröm (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · ru спорынья́ (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl cornecho (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · nl moederkoren (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · ja 麦角菌 (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · cs paličkovice (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · nn moldaks (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · fi torajyvä (deformed grain) · izh hiirensitta (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · fi torajyvä (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · fi härkäjyvä (deformed grain) · es tizón (deformed grain) · ro corn-de-secară (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · udm ужӟег (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · cy malltod rhyg (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · mrj ӓвӓвӹрцӹ (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · nn mjølauk (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl dentón (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · tr çavdar mahmuzu (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · nb meldrøye (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · pt cravagem (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl dentón (deformed grain) · nn mjøldryge (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · udm ӟеганай (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · bg мораво рогче (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · de Mutterkornpilz (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl cornizó (deformed grain) · ca banya del sègol (deformed grain) · cy mall rhyg (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · hu anyarozs (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · es tizón (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · kpv ужпинь (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · fr ergot (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · gl cornizó (any fungus of the genus Claviceps) · fr ergot (deformed grain) · cs námel (deformed grain)