pollen

noun

pol·​len ˈpä-lən 

1

: a mass of microspores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust

2

: a dusty bloom on the body of an insect

Examples of pollen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The life and death of a seed Seeds are essentially plant embryos, arising when pollen lands on a flower and fertilizes an egg cell; the embryos are often encased by energy-supplying tissues, a shell and sometimes fleshy fruit. —Katarina Zimmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 May 2025

The idea is to desensitize an allergic person to a specific allergen, like pollen or cat dander. —Sarah Klein, Time, 30 Apr. 2025

Common types include seasonal allergies (e.g., pollen, ragweed) and environmental allergies (e.g., mold, dust, pet dander). —Lindsay Curtis, Health, 25 Apr. 2025

Luckily, there are ways to keep the pollen from taking over your life. —Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 19 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin pollin-, pollen, from Latin, fine flour

First Known Use

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pollen

• pollen basket
• pollen count
• pollen grain
• pollen mother cell
• pollen sac
• pollen tube

Rhymes for pollen

• cauline
• fallen
• paulin
• befallen
• crestfallen
• tarpaulin

Kids Definition

pollen

noun

pol·​len ˈpäl-ən 

: a mass of tiny particles in the anthers of a flower that fertilize the seeds and usually appear as fine yellow dust

Medical Definition

pollen

noun

pol·​len ˈpäl-ən 

: a mass of male spores in a seed plant appearing usually as a fine dust