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

Explanation

To breed is to have babies, whether you’re a human or a hermit crab. A breed is also a specific type of a domesticated species, like a poodle or Great Dane. The word breed comes from the Old English bredan which means to "bring young to birth," but also "cherish,” which is how most people feel about their offspring. Awwwww. But the fact is that breeding is reproducing. Also, a breed is a strain or stock of a species, such as a Siamese cat. There are many types of dog breeds, cow breeds, and even pig breeds. Members of a breed usually look and behave in a similar way.

Example Sentences

They hatched four chicks in 2024 and another four in 2025 they are the first ospreys to breed on England's south coast in 180 years.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

Mr. Sankar is part of a new breed of Silicon Valley entrepreneur, one we might call the National Greatness bros.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

"These findings could be highly significant for plant cultivation. If we can control adhesion, it may be possible to breed plants with improved tolerance to environmental stress."

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

He’s also among the last of a dying breed: a two-way center who stood out on both ends of the ice, but was also gentlemanly enough to win the Lady Byng trophy three times.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

The cows up there were a good breed.

From "Facing the Lion" by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton and Herman Viola

Related Words

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