pollination

noun

pol·​li·​na·​tion ˌpä-lə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce pollination (audio)
: the transfer of pollen from an anther to the stigma in angiosperms or from the microsporangium to the micropyle in gymnosperms

Examples of pollination in a Sentence

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.
On a warm day, the flowers stay open for shorter periods of time, which affects pollination. Asher Redd, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2025 Studies have already shown that pollination and plant growth cycles would be disrupted by the amount of light that Reflect Orbital satellites would produce, in addition to the disruptions of bird migrations and the behaviors of animals under both laboratory and wild conditions. Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025 Albius’s precise and labor-intensive hand-pollination technique is still used today. Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025 Experts say bears are increasingly venturing out of their traditional habitats and into urban areas in search of food because climate change is interfering with the flowering and pollination of some of the animals’ traditional sources of food. Yumi Asada, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollination

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollination was in 1873

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Cite this Entry

“Pollination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollination. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

pollination

noun
pol·​li·​na·​tion ˌpäl-ə-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce pollination (audio)
: the act or process of pollinating

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