cross-pollination

American  

[kraws-pol-uh-ney-shuhn, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˌpɒl əˈneɪ ʃən, ˈkrɒs- /

noun

1. Botany.  the transfer of pollen from the flower of one plant to the flower of a plant having a different genetic constitution.

2. a sharing or interchange of knowledge, ideas, etc., as for mutual enrichment; cross-fertilization.

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cross-pollination British  

noun

1. the transfer of pollen from the anthers of one flower to the stigma of another flower by the action of wind, insects, etc Compare self-pollination

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cross-pollination Scientific  

1. The transfer of pollen from the male reproductive organ (an anther or a male cone) of one plant to the female reproductive organ (a stigma or a female cone) of another plant. Insects and wind are the main agents of cross-pollination. Most plants reproduce by cross-pollination, which increases the genetic diversity of a population (increases the number of heterozygous individuals). Mechanisms that promote cross-pollination include having male flowers on one plant and female flowers on another, having pollen mature before the stigmas on the same plant are chemically receptive to being pollinated, and having anatomical arrangements (such as stigmas that are taller than anthers) that make self-pollination less likely.

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Etymology

Origin of cross-pollination

First recorded in 1880–85

Compare meaning

How does cross-pollination compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• self-pollination vs. cross-pollination

Example Sentences

The cross-pollination among this group is a recurring theme in the show.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some ancestral varieties of Mexican corn have already gone extinct, he said, “the product of illegal plantings and uncontrolled and undetected cross-pollination.”

From Los Angeles Times

Goswami says the success of Santosh and All We Imagine as Light points to the merging of borders and expansion of film industries, creating space for cross-pollination and exchange.

From BBC

“It’s so exciting. I never expected to see this kind of cross-pollination.”

From Los Angeles Times

But the classics remain the company’s heart and soul, which makes this potential merger of classical and contemporary an exciting point of artistic cross-pollination, said Langs.

From Seattle Times