pollinate — to transfer pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part, enabling fertilization
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to transfer pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part, enabling fertilization
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈpɑːləneɪt/
Example Sentences
- The farmer hired a bee colony to pollinate his apple orchard because his trees were being antisocial.
- Scientists are training tiny drones to pollinate flowers when bees are too busy posting on social media.
- Wind and insects naturally pollinate most wildflowers in the meadow.
pollinate
VERB[/ˈpɑːləneɪt/]
to transfer pollen from the male part of a flower to the female part, enabling fertilization

Bees pollinate the sunflowers as they hop from bloom to bloom.

Poll in ate flowers with her survey - accidentally spreading love!

Pollinate to eliminate death, fascinate with life's rebirth!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From the Latin word 'pollen' meaning 'fine powder' or 'flour', combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ate'. The Latin 'pollen' itself derives from 'pollis', related to powder or dust.
Breakdown
poll- (pollen, fine powder) + -en- (connecting element) + -ate (verb suffix meaning 'to cause or make') = pollinate (to cause pollen transfer)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The farmer hired a bee colony to pollinate his apple orchard because his trees were being antisocial.”
“Scientists are training tiny drones to pollinate flowers when bees are too busy posting on social media.”
“Wind and insects naturally pollinate most wildflowers in the meadow.”
“Greenhouse workers must manually pollinate tomato plants to ensure good fruit production.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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