pollinate

verb

pol·​li·​nate ˈpä-lə-ˌnāt How to pronounce pollinate (audio)
pollinated; pollinating

transitive verb

1
: to carry out the pollination of
2
: to mark or smudge with pollen

Examples of pollinate in a Sentence

The plants are pollinated by bees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Bats are a familiar sight in Arizona’s night skies, fluttering above saguaro silhouettes, gobbling up mosquitoes and pollinating desert plants. Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 7 Aug. 2025 Allen explained that Whitelock taught him and others how to pollinate plants and how to identify them. Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2025 Listening to the hum of bees pollinating California lilac could calm your heart. Anne Ferguson, Mercury News, 16 June 2025 The flowers will not pollinate, and the plants just sit there. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 16 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollinate

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollinate was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pollinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollinate. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

pollinate

verb
pol·​li·​nate ˈpäl-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce pollinate (audio)
pollinated; pollinating
: to place pollen on the stigma of

More from Merriam-Webster on pollinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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