pollen

American  

[pol-uhn] / ˈpɒl ən /

noun

1. the fertilizing element of flowering plants, consisting of fine, powdery, yellowish grains or spores, sometimes in masses.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to pollinate.

Pollen ¹ British  

/ ˈpɒlən /

noun

1. Daniel. 1813–96, New Zealand statesman, born in Ireland: prime minister of New Zealand (1876)

---

pollen ² British  

/ pəˈlɪnɪk, ˈpɒlən /

noun

1. a fine powdery substance produced by the anthers of seed-bearing plants, consisting of numerous fine grains containing the male gametes

---

pollen Scientific  

/ pŏl′ən /

1. Powdery grains that contain the male reproductive cells of most plants. In gymnosperms, pollen is produced by male cones or conelike structures. In angiosperms, pollen is produced by the anthers at the end of stamens in flowers. Each pollen grain contains a generative cell, which divides into two nuclei (one of which fertilizes the egg), and a tube cell, which grows into a pollen tube to conduct the generative cell or the nuclei into the ovule. The pollen grain is the male gametophyte generation of seed-bearing plants. In gymnosperms, each pollen grain also contains two sterile cells (called prothallial cells), thought to be remnants of the vegetative tissue of the male gametophyte.

---

pollen Cultural  

1. The male sex cells in plants. In flowering plants, pollen is produced in thin filaments in the flower called stamens. (See fertilization and pollination.)

---

Discover More

When pollen is carried into the air by the wind, it frequently causes allergic reactions (see allergy) in humans.

Other Word Forms

• pollenless adjective
• pollenlike adjective
• pollinic adjective
• pollinical adjective
• unpollened adjective

Etymology

Origin of pollen

1515–25; < New Latin, special use of Latin: fine flour, mill dust

Example Sentences

Some are large enough to see, such as springtime pollen, while others, like viruses that circulate during flu season, are far too small for the human eye.

From Science Daily

So far, allergy experts say, Southern California’s pollen levels are moderate for this time of the year.

From Los Angeles Times

In the Seattle area, the Northwest Asthma & Allergy Center tracks the pollen count every weekday during pollen season.

From Seattle Times

Rising temperatures from climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are leading to a prolonged, intensifying pollen season across North America, says Climate Central, a nonprofit that researches and reports on climate science.

From Seattle Times

If you want to get the full restaurant experience of the dish, I highly recommend springing for the fennel pollen, which is most readily available online.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• antigen
• dander
• irritant
• ragweed