pollen grain
noun
: one of the granular microspores that occur in pollen and give rise to the male gametophyte of a seed plant
Examples of pollen grain in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For example, Jenny McGuire, a conservation paleobiologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and her colleagues studied fossilized pollen grains to see how 16 important plant taxa from North America responded to climate change over the past 18,000 years.
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Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023
The lake’s calcite layers became thicker during warm years; pollen grains show how the forest composition shifted to include more heat-loving tree species.
—Emily Wright, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
The pollen grains are small enough to be inhaled, and some people’s immune systems react very poorly to the miniscule particles.
—Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 8 Mar. 2023
Strong upward winds during storms can lift up pollen grains, which then get dispersed across a wider distance when downdraft winds begin.
—Dharna Noor, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Mar. 2023
INGRID ROMERO/Knowable Magazine) View of the outer wall of a fossil pollen grain corresponding to the species Echiperiporites that was present in the Miocene (23 million years ago).
—Pablo Correa, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
The wall that covers a pollen grain is quite resistant to temperature changes, helping its preservation for millions of years inside the rocks.
—Pablo Correa, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
Following a chemical come-hither signal from the stigma, the pollen grain grows a pollen tube, a tunnel for sperm cells to travel down to reach the egg for fertilization.
—Perrin Ireland, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2013
Their findings indicated that the earth can often offer previews to major climate change tipping points that include ocean level rise, sediment accumulation and pollen grain fossils.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2021
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Bob Holmes, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023
The lake’s calcite layers became thicker during warm years; pollen grains show how the forest composition shifted to include more heat-loving tree species.
—Emily Wright, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
The pollen grains are small enough to be inhaled, and some people’s immune systems react very poorly to the miniscule particles.
—Rachel Ramirez, CNN, 8 Mar. 2023
Strong upward winds during storms can lift up pollen grains, which then get dispersed across a wider distance when downdraft winds begin.
—Dharna Noor, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Mar. 2023
INGRID ROMERO/Knowable Magazine) View of the outer wall of a fossil pollen grain corresponding to the species Echiperiporites that was present in the Miocene (23 million years ago).
—Pablo Correa, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
The wall that covers a pollen grain is quite resistant to temperature changes, helping its preservation for millions of years inside the rocks.
—Pablo Correa, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2022
Following a chemical come-hither signal from the stigma, the pollen grain grows a pollen tube, a tunnel for sperm cells to travel down to reach the egg for fertilization.
—Perrin Ireland, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2013
Their findings indicated that the earth can often offer previews to major climate change tipping points that include ocean level rise, sediment accumulation and pollen grain fossils.
—Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 14 Aug. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pollen grain.' 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
1835, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near pollen grain
Cite this Entry
“Pollen grain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollen%20grain. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
pollen grain
noun
: one of the microscopic grains of which pollen is made up
More from Merriam-Webster on pollen grain
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pollen grain
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