cross-pollination

[ kraws-pol-uh-ney-shuhn, kros- ]

/ ˈkrɔsˌpɒl əˈneɪ ʃən, ˈkrɒs- /

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noun

Botany. the transfer of pollen from the flower of one plant to the flower of a plant having a different genetic constitution.Compare self-pollination.

a sharing or interchange of knowledge, ideas, etc., as for mutual enrichment; cross-fertilization.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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candypuff

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Origin of cross-pollination

First recorded in 1880–85

Words nearby cross-pollination

crosspatch, crosspiece, cross-ply, cross-ply tire, cross-pollinate, cross-pollination, cross-post, cross-posting, cross press, cross product, cross protection

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cross-pollination in a sentence

Do you want to see more cross-pollination between Spidey and the other characters in the Marvel universe, like The Avengers?
Marc Webb Takes Us Inside ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ and Discusses His Rise to the A-List|Marlow Stern|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What are your experiences, from the practical publishing side, of your diversity of book types and cross-pollination of genres?
How I Write: Jonathan Lethem|Noah Charney|September 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Plus there's just lots of international cross-pollination among these firms.
The Outsourcerer's Apprentice|Michael Tomasky|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
All this cross-pollination prompted Politico on Tuesday to question whether Obama and Facebook are getting too cozy.
Facebook Woos Washington|Dan Lyons|April 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST

To make sure of cross pollination nature has in some cases placed the stamens and pistils in different flowers on the same plant.
The First Book of Farming|Charles L. Goodrich
This observation demonstrated the necessity of great care to prevent cross-pollination.
The Vegetable Garden|Anonymous
In the first place we have the cross-pollination leading to the formation of the hybrid plant by cross-fertilisation.
Disease in Plants|H. Marshall Ward
Chestnuts rarely set any nuts that produce mature seed from their own pollen but depend on cross-pollination.
Growing Nuts in the North|Carl Weschcke
By careful selection and cross pollination many and better varieties will be produced.
Walnut Growing in Oregon|Various

British Dictionary definitions for cross-pollination

cross-pollination

noun

the transfer of pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigma of another flower by the action of wind, insects, etcCompare self-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

Scientific definitions for cross-pollination

cross-pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male reproductive organ (an anther or a male cone) of one plant to the female reproductive organ (a stigma or a female cone) of another plant. Insects and wind are the main agents of cross-pollination. Most plants reproduce by cross-pollination, which increases the genetic diversity of a population (increases the number of heterozygous individuals). Mechanisms that promote cross-pollination include having male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another, having pollen mature before the stigmas on the same plant are chemically receptive to being pollinated, and having anatomical arrangements (such as stigmas that are taller than anthers) that make self-pollination less likely.