Synonyms

cross-pollinate

American

[kraws-pol-uh-neyt, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˈpɒl əˌneɪt, ˈkrɒs- /

verb (used with object)

cross-pollinated, cross-pollinating

to subject to cross-pollination.

cross-pollinate British

verb

to subject or be subjected to cross-pollination

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cross-pollinate

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The term for this is "monoecious," and because pumpkins are monoecious, they can cross pollinate with other pumpkins to create vegetables with a wide range of colors, shapes, textures and other variations.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2022

They've been growing all different types of wheat together, allowing them all to cross pollinate and taking those seeds and growing them again and allowing them to cross pollinate.

From Salon • Sep. 11, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023