pollen
noun
pol·len
| \ ˈpä-lən
\
\
Definition of pollen
1
: a mass of microspores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust
2
: a dusty bloom on the body of an insect
Examples of pollen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
According to their modeling, ragweed alone spews 3.12 trillion grains of pollen across Detroit every year. — Lucas Joel, Quartz, "Detroit accidentally caused a pollen crisis by bulldozing the city’s abandoned areas," 15 Aug. 2019 The flowers are large but more delicate in their architecture, though the stamen is a confection of pollen-bearing needles. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "The sultry plant that will break your heart," 13 Aug. 2019 This arrangement keeps the pollen of the two flowers from mixing, genetically isolating them. — Scientific American, "Ballistic Maggots, Synthetic Winks and Why You’re Not Goop: This Week’s Best Science GIFs," 9 Aug. 2019 Their wide, open flowers are useful platforms for bees and butterflies that gather their pollen and sip nectar. — Karen Dardick, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Summer blooms that can take the heat," 18 July 2019 If your plants are inside, take a Q-tip and swab the pollen inside the male flower, then rub it around the female flower. — Ap Mcclatchy, The Mercury News, "How to grow your own fruits and vegetables — from food scraps," 10 July 2019 Has anyone tried fixing America with crystals and bee pollen? — Sam Kestenbaum, New York Times, "The Curious Mystical Text Behind Marianne Williamson’s Presidential Bid," 5 July 2019 The pollen lands on the plants’ strands of silk, which swing like dirty blond ponytails, and slides down the strands to fertilize the ears. — Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, "May I Recommend That You Grow Your Own Corn," 20 June 2019 Simple saline sprays or drops can literally wash the pollen out of your nostrils and eyes. — Marisa Cohen, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Relief From Fall Allergies, According to an Allergist," 19 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pollen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pollen
pollen
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pollen
: the very fine usually yellow dust that is produced by a plant and that is carried to other plants of the same kind usually by wind or insects so that the plants can produce seeds
See the full definition for pollen in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pollen
noun
pol·len
| \ ˈpä-lən
\
\
Kids Definition of pollen
: the very tiny grains produced by the stamens of a flower or special sacs of a male cone that fertilize the seeds and usually appear as fine yellow dust
pollen
noun
pol·len
| \ ˈpäl-ən
\
\
Medical Definition of pollen
: a mass of male spores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust
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