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bred

American  
[bred] / brɛd /

verb

  1. simple past tense and past participle of breed.

bred British  
/ brɛd /

verb

  1. the past tense and past participle of breed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. derogatory a person who lives in a small remote place

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bred Idioms  

  1. see born and bred. Also see under breed.

Etymology

Origin of bred

sense 2: diminutive form of inbred

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While ancient varieties were shaped by intense competition, modern "elite" durum wheat has been bred to be less aggressive.

From Science Daily • Apr. 8, 2026

But progress is slower in the industrial transport and manufacturing sectors, where lower fossil-fuel prices over the past year have bred complacency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

"We are very proud of our heritage and of the fact there is a dog that was bred here and named after the park - it's amazing it has gone on to win Crufts."

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Five years later, all the remaining wild condors were captured and bred in captivity to try to stave off extinction.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

"I fell into it out of old habit. I'm a country wight meself, born and bred in Yorkshire. Judging from your speech, your master must be a South County man."

From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.