ergot
/ˈəɹɡət/noun
ergot is spelled E-R-G-O-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ergot means “Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ergot is ergots.
How many letters and syllables are in ergot?
| Letters | 5: E-R-G-O-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 85,266th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is ergot?
Ergot appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce ergot?
- UK /ˈəːɡət/
- /ˈəːɡɒt/
- US /ˈəɹɡət/
Ergot has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-ergot.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with ergot?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as ergot (/əɹɡət/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: etrog.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of ergot
- ergots plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ergot mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Any fungus in the genus Claviceps which are parasitic on grasses.
- 2
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.
- 3
The wart-like growth of skin that covers the metacarpal pad on a horse or similar animal.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ergot in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ergot |
| German | Mutterkornpilz , Mutterkorn |
| Portuguese | cravagem |
| Spanish | cornezuelo, tizón, polvillo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does ergot come from?
Borrowed from French ergot.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).