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

This measures the cleaning speed of the purifier for removing smoke, dust, and and pollen. — Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, "Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?," 17 Dec. 2018 For other plants, like pollen-spewing ragweed, a warmer winter is effectively a shorter winter. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Winters are warming faster than summers. These US cities could lose weeks of freezing days by 2050.," 21 Dec. 2018 Reusable filters are generally better at removing larger particles from the air, like dust mites and pollen. — Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, "Do Air Purifiers Actually Work?," 17 Dec. 2018 One day, a fleet of bees equipped with these sensors could help farmers monitor the health of their crops, and give biologists insights into how bees forage for food, find pollen and navigate through the environment. — Katherine Long, The Seattle Times, "Backpack-wearing bumblebees could buzz fields, tell farmers how crops are doing," 13 Dec. 2018 Heat waves threaten vulnerable populations in many cities, while air quality is also affected by fires, shifting pollen seasons, and even the influence of weather on air pollution. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "US tries to bury report on climate change’s dire health, economic impacts," 26 Nov. 2018 If someone has asthma, their immune system reacts disproportionately to certain substances like pet dander or pollen, though specific triggers vary from person to person. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 People Describe What an Asthma Attack Actually Feels Like," 14 Nov. 2018 Keep your windows closed when there’s a ton of pollen outside. — Korin Miller, SELF, "13 Changes You Can Make at Home to Control Your Asthma," 31 Aug. 2018 Fennel pollen is the most potent form of the plant and goes perfectly with the porchetta. — Tyler Florence, House Beautiful, "Tyler Florence's Porchetta Recipe," 2 Jan. 2011

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

10 Jan 2019

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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