pollen

noun

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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 Plums are not self-fruitful and need another of the same species nearby for pollen transfer. — oregonlive, "Early rose pruning could cause dieback, result in re-prune next spring: Ask an expert," 16 Jan. 2021 Feline acne can be caused by allergies to things such as fleas or pollen or fungal spores. — Traci Howerton, NOLA.com, "Cat acne -- yes, it's a thing, and it may require treatment by a vet," 12 Jan. 2021 Next, the archaeologists plan to obtain plaster samples and examine them for tiny olive pollen grains and other substances. — Isis Davis-marks, Smithsonian Magazine, "Researchers Unearth Ritual Bath Dated to Jesus’s Time Near Garden of Gethsemane," 23 Dec. 2020 Mbaeyi said people with other types of allergies — to food, latex, pollen or other substances — do not have to take special precautions and are recommended to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. — Casey Ross @caseymross, STAT, "CDC says people with history of severe allergic reactions can get Covid-19 vaccine," 13 Dec. 2020 In the image above, this plant is being pollinated by a soap bubble that carries pollen. — Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic, "Can we make these lakes great again?," 18 Nov. 2020 The pollen is sticky and heavy — meant to adhere to the bodies of insects. — Dan Gill, NOLA.com, "Garden Advice: Goldenrod isn't the culprit behind allergies; and leggy pansies will fill out over the season," 18 Nov. 2020 Its high-efficiency filter captures 99% of all allergens, pollen and particles as small as 10 microns. — Chelsea Stone, CNN Underscored, "The best sales to shop today: Wayfair, Roomba, Spanx and more," 21 Dec. 2020 The first finds ways to use less sugar to create small batches of jams with offbeat flavor combinations such as strawberry, chipotle and fig, while the second blends its honeys with other superfoods like bee pollen and beetroot powder. — New York Times, "The T List: Holiday Gift Guide, Part II," 2 Dec. 2020

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

24 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Pollen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollen. Accessed 24 Jan. 2021.

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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