pollen basket

noun

: a smooth area on each hind tibia of a bee that is edged by a fringe of stiff hairs and serves to collect and transport pollen

called also corbicula

Examples of pollen basket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the photo above, the big yellow blob on the bee's haunch is a full pollen basket. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2015 There it is compacted into a pellet and pushed to a structure called the pollen basket for storage. Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollen basket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollen basket was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near pollen basket

Cite this Entry

“Pollen basket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollen%20basket. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pollen basket

noun
: a flat or hollow area bordered with stiff hairs on the hind leg of a bee in which it carries pollen to the hive or nest
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