pollinate

verb

pol·​li·​nate ˈpä-lə-ˌnāt 

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

For this year’s release, Hemsworth’s bees supplied the honey that is one of the lead botanicals in the gin, along with macadamia honey sourced from Manuka which was pollinated from a macadamia tree orchard. — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Nov. 2026

Insects, birds, and the wind pollinate the blooms, meaning pollen grains get moved from the male to the female parts of the plant. — Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 10 Nov. 2026

Researchers have found that east-facing flowers warm more quickly in the morning and thus attract many more pollinating insects than west-facing flowers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2026

Growers pollinate their plants by hand, replacing insect pollinators. — Cameron Pugh, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pollinate

• cross-pollinate
• self-pollinate

Rhymes for pollinate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

pollinate

verb

pol·​li·​nate ˈpäl-ə-ˌnāt 

pollinated; pollinating

: to place pollen on the stigma of