pollinator

American  

[pah-luh-nayt-er] / ˈpɑ ləˌneɪt ər /

noun

1. an insect or other animal that pollinates a plant.

2. a plant which provides pollen for cross-pollination.

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Explanation

An animal that helps fertilize plants by moving pollen from one to another is a pollinator. Honeybees act as inadvertent pollinators as they collect nectar to make honey. When you think of pollinators, you probably picture bees buzzing from flower to flower as pollen collects on their legs. Many other insects, including ants, wasps, beetles, and butterflies, are also pollinators. Birds are too — and even mammals like possums and monkeys can pollinate plants, spreading pollen from the anther of one flower to the stigma of another so the plant can reproduce. The Latin root of pollinator, meaning "fine flour," describes pollen's powdery appearance.

Example Sentences

Putting out shallow dishes of water, log piles, plant pollinator friendly plants were some of the steps we at home can make to facilitate hedgehogs.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Stephen Frantz, 82, said he would have to sell his home, with its pollinator garden, if the override succeeds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Visitors will encounter pollinator gardens alive with butterflies and hummingbirds, color-themed landscapes, and cascading water features, all designed to reflect the beauty of Southern California’s environment with scents of rosemary, jasmine and chaparral.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2025

This means the plant is not dependent on a particular type of pollinator to reproduce and survive successfully.”

From Salon • May 27, 2025

Some trees produce staminate flowers too early for proper pollination and thus do not yield a crop unless another good pollinator grows nearby.

From Northern Nut Growers Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty-First Annual Meeting Cedar Rapids, Iowa, September 17, 18, and 19, 1930 by Northern Nut Growers Association