pollinium

noun

pol·​lin·​i·​um pä-ˈli-nē-əm How to pronounce pollinium (audio)
plural pollinia pä-ˈli-nē-ə How to pronounce pollinium (audio)
: a coherent mass of pollen grains often with a stalk bearing an adhesive disk that clings to insects

Examples of pollinium 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.
The yellow bundle on its head is a ghost orchid pollinium (pollen cluster). Steven Bedard, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2019 If all goes well, the moth will contact the plant’s bundle of pollen, called a pollinium, which will stick to its head, and hopefully be carried on to fertilize another ghost. Douglas Main, National Geographic, 11 July 2019

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from pollin-

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollinium was in 1849

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Cite this Entry

“Pollinium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollinium. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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