breed

American  

[breed] / brid /

verb (used with object)

bred, breeding

1. to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.

   Synonyms:

   generate, bear, beget

2. to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce.

   Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.

   Synonyms:

   generate, bear, beget

3. Horticulture.

   1. to cause to reproduce by controlled pollination.

   2. to improve by controlled pollination and selection.

4. to raise (cattle, sheep, etc.).

   He breeds longhorns on the ranch.

5. to cause or be the source of; engender; give rise to.

   Dirt breeds disease. Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes.

   Synonyms:

   develop, induce, produce, foster, occasion, promote

6. to develop by training or education; bring up; rear.

   He was born and bred a gentleman.

7. Energy. to produce more fissile nuclear fuel than is consumed in a reactor.

8. to impregnate; mate.

   Breed a strong mare with a fast stallion and hope for a Derby winner.

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verb (used without object)

bred, breeding

1. to produce offspring.

   Many animals breed in the spring.

2. to be engendered or produced; grow; develop.

   Bacteria will not breed in alcohol.

3. to cause the birth of young, as in raising stock.

4. to be pregnant.

noun

1. Genetics. a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.

2. lineage; stock; strain.

   She comes from a fine breed of people.

   Synonyms:

   line, pedigree, family

3. sort; kind; group.

   Scholars are a quiet breed.

4. Disparaging and Offensive. half-breed.

breed British  

/ briːd /

verb

1. to bear (offspring)

2. (tr) to bring up; raise

3. to produce or cause to produce by mating; propagate

4. to produce and maintain new or improved strains of (domestic animals and plants)

5. to produce or be produced; generate

   to breed trouble

   violence breeds in densely populated areas

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noun

1. a group of organisms within a species, esp a group of domestic animals, originated and maintained by man and having a clearly defined set of characteristics

2. a lineage or race

   a breed of Europeans

3. a kind, sort, or group

   a special breed of hatred

breed Scientific  

/ brēd /

1. To produce or reproduce by giving birth or hatching.

2. To raise animals or plants, often to produce new or improved types.

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1. A group of organisms having common ancestors and sharing certain traits that are not shared with other members of the same species. Breeds are usually produced by mating selected parents.

breed Idioms  

1. see familiarity breeds contempt.

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Other Word Forms

• breedable adjective
• overbreed verb (used with object)
• rebreed verb
• subbreed noun

Etymology

Origin of breed

before 1000; Middle English breden, Old English brēdan to nourish (cognate with Old High German bruotan, German brüten ); noun use from 16th century

Example Sentences

Watching this team lose, or threaten to lose, big leads in games in recent seasons breeds a certain worry.

From BBC

It was one of the last major undeveloped wetlands in Southern California and a breeding and feeding site for 370 bird species, along with fish, reptiles, rabbits, foxes, coyotes and other animals.

From Los Angeles Times

In March 2024, the research team traveled to Antarctica shortly after the breeding season for skuas and penguins.

From Science Daily

These little creatures must belong to a breed that did not stray into the valley.

From Literature

The goal of the law was to "combat prejudice against animals without a defined breed."

From Barron's

Related Words

• beget
• create
• engender
• give birth to
• hatch
• induce
• multiply
• produce
• propagate
• reproduce