Meaning & use
pollinator
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Meanings
nouncountable
An animal or insect that carries pollen from one flower to another, helping plants make seeds.
Grammar: Countable: one pollinator, many pollinators.
Patterns
- a pollinator of something
- natural pollinators
Bees are the most famous pollinators, but bats and birds also do the job.
The garden was full of pollinators in the summer.
Without pollinators, many fruit trees would produce no fruit.
nouncountable
A person or thing that pollinates plants, especially in a controlled setting.
Grammar: Countable: often used in scientific or gardening contexts.
Patterns
- a pollinator for something
In the greenhouse, the farmer acts as a pollinator for the vanilla plants.
Robotic pollinators are being developed to help in areas where bees are scarce.
Word forms
| plural | pollinators |
|---|
Common combinations
- natural pollinator
- The decline of natural pollinators worries farmers.
- bee pollinator
- The honeybee is an important bee pollinator.
- pollinator decline
- Pollinator decline is a global concern.
- attract pollinators
- Plant these flowers to attract pollinators to your garden.
Word family
- pollinate verb
- To move pollen from one flower to another.
- pollination noun
- The act or process of pollinating.
Practice
Which of these is a pollinator?
Choose one answer.
A bee is an animal that carries pollen, so it is a pollinator. Rocks, cars, and clouds do not pollinate plants.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pollinator”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.