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Glite Dictionary
ragweed pollen

ragweed pollen

5.1
Tiny grains from the ragweed plant that cause allergies in many people
  • noun
  • /ˈræɡˌwid ˈpɑlən/
  • UK
translation icon : polen de ambrosía
  • Tests showed that she was highly allergic to ragweed pollen.

Examples

  • The ragweed pollen levels are high this season.

  • Many people are allergic to ragweed pollen.

  • Levels of ragweed pollen are highest in late summer and early autumn.

  • Many people experience sneezing and itchy eyes during ragweed pollen season.

  • During the allergy season, many people suffer from issues caused by ragweed pollen.

  • Doctors reported that ragweed pollen is one of the main causes of hay fever in the summer.

  • People with allergies should check the pollen count for ragweed pollen in their area before going outside.

Surface Forms

ragweed pollen singular
ragweed pollens plural

Morphology

ragweed + pollen

The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'ragweed' names the plant and 'pollen' names the powder it produces, so the combined meaning 'pollen produced by the ragweed plant' is directly derivable from the constituents. This follows a common noun+noun compound pattern found across languages, making it immediately understandable to learners who know both words.

Etymology

Ragweed pollen comes from the wild plant ragweed and the tiny, dusty grains called pollen that it sends into the air. These light grains float around and often make people sneeze or have itchy eyes, so the term means the pollen that causes 'allergies'.