fairy rings

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

   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

   Synonyms:

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