Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pollen” come from?

Pollen comes from Latin pollen, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pel-, a root meaning to drive or push forward.

pollen (English): A fine granular substance produced in flowers....

Definitions

  1. A fine granular substance produced in flowers....

Ancestry of “pollen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinpollenflour, fine flour, milldust; fine powder dust
2Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

Words derived from “pollen”

  • pollinate
  • pollinator
  • pollinium
  • polleniferous
  • pollenizer
  • polleny
  • pollened
  • pollenize
  • pollenless
  • pollenosis
  • pollenlike
  • nonpollen
  • pollenin
  • cross-pollinate
  • pollinivore
  • pollinivory
  • pollinivorous
  • pollenise
  • polliniate
  • pollinial
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →