Pollen
/ˈpɑː.lən/noun
A fine powder produced by seed plants as part of their reproductive process.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *pollen*, meaning “fine flour” or “meal,” and only later became the scientific name for the dust that makes plants reproduce.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
pollen
“Fine flour or meal”
Late Latin
Latin
pollinis
“Of flour or fine dust (genitive form used in later transmission)”
18th Century
New Latin
pollen
“The dust-like fertilizing material of flowers”
18th–19th Century
English
pollen
“Botanical dust that carries plant reproductive cells”
Modern English
English
pollen
“Fine powder produced by seed plants for reproduction”