staminate

/ˈstā-mə-nət How to pronounce staminate (audio) ˈsta-,  -ˌnāt/ (ame, mw)

staminate — adjective

  • staminatepositive
  • more staminatecomparative
  • most staminatesuperlative

1. describing a flower or plant part that contains stamens and releases pollen

1.形容詞C2
釋義

describing a flower or plant part that contains stamens and releases pollen

例句

The staminate flowers near the top released yellow pollen first.

staminate + flowers that release pollen

This vine has small staminate clusters along its outer branches.

staminate + clusters on a plant

同義詞
  • pollen-bearing

    plain descriptive term; focuses on making pollen rather than using formal botanical wording

  • male-flowered

    common in gardening writing; usually applied to flowers or flowering branches

文法句型

staminate + flower/cluster/catkin

用法筆記

Usually used before nouns such as flower, bloom, cluster, or catkin. In this broader sense, the word points to pollen-bearing parts without always stressing that female parts are absent.

常見錯誤

❌staminate seeds
✅staminate flowers
💡the word describes pollen-bearing flowers or plant parts, not the seeds that form later.

2. describing a flower or plant that is male, with stamens present but no pistil

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describing a flower or plant that is male, with stamens present but no pistil

例句

Each staminate flower on the corn tassel makes pollen but no seed.

staminate flower = male only

Farmers kept one staminate row to fertilize the nearby female plants.

staminate row in corn fields

同義詞
  • male

    broader and less technical; can describe whole plants or flowers

  • male-flowered

    clear in gardening contexts; stresses that the blossoms are male

  • unisexual

    more scientific and broader; does not itself tell you which sex is present

反義詞
  • pistillate

    female, bearing pistils rather than male organs

  • perfect

    bearing both stamens and pistils, so not male-only

文法句型

staminate + flower/plant

staminate and pistillate + flowers

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense specifically means male only. Botanists often use it when contrasting staminate with pistillate plants or flowers that need a separate female partner for fruit.

常見錯誤

❌a staminate flower with a pistil
✅a staminate flower without a pistil
💡in this sense, the flower is male only.
❌staminate' for any pollen-producing flower
✅use sense 1 when female parts may also be present
💡this sense requires the male-only contrast.