stamen
Americannoun
-
stamens,
plural
-
stamina
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of stamen
1640–50; < Latin stāmen warp in upright loom, thread, filament, equivalent to stā ( re ) to stand + -men noun suffix; akin to Greek stḗmōn warp, Sanskrit sthāman place
Explanation
A stamen is the part of a flower that produces pollen so it can reproduce. The number of stamens in most flowers is the same as the number of petals. In many flowers, you can easily see the stamens—or more precisely, the parts of the stamen called filaments, the thin stalks in the middle of the bloom, and the anthers, the tiny pods that hold the pollen. In Latin, stamen means "foundational warp thread in weaving," and its root means "to stand, or make firm."
Vocabulary lists containing stamen
Life Science: Plants
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Plants (Botany) - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Plants (Botany) - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
This allowed them to identify a signal emitted by the maternal tissue that attracts pollen tubes by leading them to elongate along the stamen tissue and reach the site of fertilization.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024
It takes less than three minutes for a Loasoideae stamen to travel from the outside in — nimble by plant standards.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2019
“We’re trying to make the environmental movement more fun and diverse – it has become very dry and boring,” Sprinkle, 62, tells me, pointing to a suggestively exuberant hibiscus stamen.
From The Guardian ● May 15, 2017
The stamen consists a long, stalk-like filament with an anther at the end.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
In her hair was a stamen from a flower.
From "Stuart Little" by E.B. White
Inside the egg, a surprise awaits: a bouquet of flowers made of white quartz wood anemones, each flower with gold wire stem and stamens.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
Instead, the rodents brush against the scores of scarlet stamens, which carry the pollen that could then cling to the their fur coats until being transferred to another feijoa tree.
From New York Times ● Jun. 22, 2022
Later in spring, bloom continues more demurely, when Magnolia wilsonii and M. sieboldii, a couple of Larson’s favorite species, produce fragrant, nodding white flowers with pink to crimson stamens.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 9, 2022
Later that day, her students would tear those silky petals from their stems, counting stamens and pistils to learn botany.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 21, 2021
Sir Palomides interrupted with an explanation about pollen and stamens.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
If negotiations were to resume, it’s unclear whether Trump and his coterie of negotiators have the stamina or the foreign service expertise to bring about an accord.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
These fibers consume large amounts of oxygen and are associated with improved stamina and athletic performance.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
Historically regarded as a summer stamina booster -- particularly among older and rural people -- dog meat has steadily fallen out of favour as younger Koreans embrace dogs as pets and public attitudes shift.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
United coaches feel in addition to his stamina and athletic prowess, which they expect to grow as the months go on, Fletcher's all-round game has improved significantly.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
Conway had spent weeks training stamina into the horse, while Smith had not done much for Seabiscuit’s endurance.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
