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Webster 1913 Edition

Pollen

Pol′len

,
Noun.
[L.
pollen
fine flour, fine dust; cf. Gr. [GREEK]]
1.
Fine bran or flour.
[Obs.]
Bailey.
2.
(Bot.)
The fecundating dustlike cells of the anthers of flowers. See
Flower
, and Illust. of
Filament
.
Pollen grain
(Bot.)
,
a particle or call of pollen.
–
Pollen mass
,
a pollinium.
Gray.
–
Pollen sac
,
a compartment of an anther containing pollen, – usually there are four in each anther.
–
Pollen tube
,
a slender tube which issues from the pollen grain on its contact with the stigma, which it penetrates, thus conveying, it is supposed, the fecundating matter of the grain to the ovule.

Webster 1828 Edition

Pollen

POL'LEN

,
Noun.
[L. pollen, pollis, fine flour; pulvis.]
1.
The fecundating dust or fine substance like flour or meal, contained in the anther of flowers, which is dispersed on the pistil for impregnation; farin or farina.
2.
Fine bran.

Definition 2024

Pollen

Pollen

See also: pollen and pol·len

German

Noun

Pollen m ‎(genitive Pollens, plural Pollen)

  1. pollen

Usage notes

In common usage, the word is a plurale tantum. The singular is used chiefly in biological terminology.

Synonyms

pollen

pollen

See also: Pollen and pol·len

English

Noun

Pollen grains on a flower.

pollen ‎(usually uncountable, plural pollens)

  1. Fine powder in general, fine flour (16th century usage documented by the OED; no longer common.)
    • "...and ther was good wyne of Gascoyne,... as well of pollen, as of other vitailes..." Froissart, Jean, 1338?-1410?; Berners, John Bourchier, Lord
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Bailey to this entry?)
  2. A fine granular substance produced in flowers. Technically a collective term for pollen grains (microspores) produced in the anthers of flowering plants. (This specific usage dating from mid 18th century.)
    • 2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3:
      In plants, the ability to recognize self from nonself plays an important role in fertilization, because self-fertilization will result in less diverse offspring than fertilization with pollen from another individual.

Related terms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔlə(n)/
  • Hyphenation: pol‧len

Etymology 1

From Latin pollen.

Noun

pollen n ‎(uncountable)

  1. pollen

Etymology 2

From English poll.

Verb

pollen

  1. (computing) to poll, to periodically check the status of a device or variable.
Inflection
Inflection of pollen (weak)
infinitive pollen
past singular pollde
past participle gepolld
infinitive pollen
gerund pollen n
verbal noun —
present tense past tense
1st person singular poll pollde
2nd person sing. (jij) pollt pollde
2nd person sing. (u) pollt pollde
2nd person sing. (gij) pollt pollde
3rd person singular pollt pollde
plural pollen pollden
subjunctive sing.1 polle pollde
subjunctive plur.1 pollen pollden
imperative sing. poll
imperative plur.1 pollt
participles pollend gepolld
1) Archaic.

Etymology 3

Noun

pollen

  1. Plural form of pol

French

Pronunciation

Noun

pollen m ‎(plural pollens)

  1. pollen

See also

German

Verb

pollen ‎(third-person singular simple present pollt, past tense pollte, past participle gepollt, auxiliary haben)

  1. (computing) to poll, to periodically check the status of a device or variable.

Conjugation

Latin

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *pel- ‎(“flour, dust”); compare with pulvis and Ancient Greek πάλη ‎(pálē, “the finest meal”, “any fine dust”).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈpol.len/, [ˈpɔl.lẽ]

Noun

pollen n ‎(genitive pollinis); third declension

  1. (literally) flour, especially fine flour, milldust
  2. (transferred sense) the (very) fine powder or dust of other things
    pollen piperis‎
    ground pepper [lit. powder of pepper]
    pollen tūris‎
    incense powder
    aliquid in pollinem tundere‎
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)

Declension

Third declension neuter.

Case Singular Plural
nominative pollen pollina
genitive pollinis pollinum
dative pollinī pollinibus
accusative pollen pollina
ablative polline pollinibus
vocative pollen pollina

Synonyms

  • (transferred sense: fine powder or dust): pulvis

Derived terms

  • polenta
  • pollināris (Classical)
  • pollinārium (New Latin)
  • pollinārius (Classical)
  • pollinātus (Classical)
  • pollinicus (post-Classical)
  • pollinium (New Latin)
  • pollinivorus (New Latin)
  • pollinōdium (New Latin)
  • pollinoīdēs (New Latin)
  • pollinōsus (New Latin)

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin pollen

Noun

pollen n ‎(definite singular pollenet)

  1. (botany) pollen

Related terms

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin pollen

Noun

pollen n ‎(definite singular pollenet)

  1. (botany) pollen

Related terms

References

Pronunciation

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