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

The team also studied traces of pollen and spores, parasite eggs, and animal bones. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Archaeologists Unseal 17th-Century Danish Latrines to Discover Copenhageners’ Dietary Habits," 9 July 2018 Researchers will analyze sediment samples from the test pits for traces of pollen and microfossils that might yield clues as to whether the stones were built in an intertidal marsh, a wooded area, or on farmland. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "The lost standing stones of Devon are still hiding from archaeologists," 1 July 2018 The weekly checks included counting the number of bees in the colony, noting whether the queen was alive, dead or absent, and recording the amount of pollen and nectar in the nest. — Deborah Netburn, latimes.com, "Struggling bumblebees can thrive in an unlikely place: The city," 27 June 2018 The flowers produced by all of these clover species are highly attractive to pollinators, so mowing down the flowers removes the pollen and nectar from their foraging plants. — OregonLive.com, "Is it neighborly to plant clover? How to tell ladybugs from invasive insects: Ask an expert," 17 Mar. 2018 That can be really tough to do, especially if your triggers are seemingly ubiquitous, like dust or pollen. — Korin Miller, SELF, "What’s an Asthma Exacerbation? (Because It Sounds Really Scary.)," 11 July 2018 For the authors of the new paper, coming up with the hypothesis in the first place involved assembling a team of specialists from across the world of paleontology, including those who study ancient pollen and birds. — Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, "How the Ancestors of Birds Survived the Dino-Killing Asteroid," 24 May 2018 The health and growth of the colonies in the coming weeks depends on how much pollen and nectar are present and how productive the queen bee is, Meredith said. — Denys Bucksten, chicagotribune.com, "Heller Nature Center offers a Mother's Day lesson on bee colonies," 15 May 2018 While some bemoan the loss of the sun over the weekend, Portlanders susceptible to pollen and other particulates can find solace in knowing the spring status quo is returning for the weekend. — Eder Campuzano, OregonLive.com, "Portland Saturday weather: Pollen-busting rain returns to clear the valley air," 28 Apr. 2018

These 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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Last Updated

17 Oct 2018

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The first known use of pollen was in 1723

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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