fairy ring

Noun

fairy ring (plural fairy rings)

1. A place where fairies congregate in a ring, particularly in order to dance.
   • They are fond of music and dancing. It is their dancing that forms the fairy rings.1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 262
   • Though many a year has passed away, / None have seen Rhys since that day! / Does he dance and does he sing / For ever in a Fairy Ring?1914, "Rhys at the Fairy Dance" in Maud Keary, Enchanted Tulips and Other Verses for Children, Macmillan and Company, page 102

   Synonyms:

   elf circle, fairy circle, pixie ring

2. A ring of fungi marking the periphery of the perennial underground growth of the mycelium.
   • This curious phenomenon has been differently accounted for. The following is Mr. Nicholson's description and explanation: "the appearance in the grass, says he, commonly called Fairy Rings, is well known. It consists either of a ring of grass of more luxuriant vegetation than the rest, or a kind of...1821, Edward Polehampton, chapter VIII, in The Gallery of Nature and Art: Or, A Tour Through Creation and Science, volume 5, page 316
   • The best known Fungus occupant of fairy rings is the Fairy Ring Agaric or Champignon, Marasmius oreades, termed in the older botanical textbooks Agaricus oreades.1884, The Journal of Horticulture, Cottage Gardener, and Home Farmer, Volume 7, 3rd Series, July—December, 1883, page 213

   Synonyms:

   elf circle, elf-dance, fairy circle, pixie ring