pollinate

verb

pol·​li·​nate ˈpä-lə-ˌnāt How to pronounce pollinate (audio)
pollinated; pollinating

transitive verb

1
: to carry out the pollination of
2
: to mark or smudge with pollen

Examples of pollinate in a Sentence

The plants are pollinated by bees.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each vanilla flower must be pollinated by hand, and the industry faces a litany of other obstacles, including drought, deforestation, and weather changes that can disrupt blooming. Saveur Editors, Saveur, 16 Apr. 2025 Cucumber Companion Plants To Attract Beneficial Insects Cucumber flowers are pollinated by insects, so attracting pollinators to the garden is important. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2025 Crown Bees Honeybees, which are tasked with pollinating many of the agricultural crops in the United States, are dying off in record numbers. Martha Ann Overland, NPR, 6 Apr. 2025 People farm insects for all sorts of reasons: Farmers rear bees to pollinate billions of dollars of crops, textile companies raise silkworms for their cocoons, and cosmetic companies use cochineal beetles for dyes. Bob Fischer, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollinate

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pollinate was in 1873

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pollinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollinate. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

pollinate

verb
pol·​li·​nate ˈpäl-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce pollinate (audio)
pollinated; pollinating
: to place pollen on the stigma of

More from Merriam-Webster on pollinate

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