breeder

[ bree-der ]
See synonyms for breeder on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an animal, plant, or person that produces offspring or reproduces.

  2. a person who raises animals or plants primarily for breeding purposes.

  1. Also called breeder reactor. Energy. a nuclear reactor in which more fissile material is produced than is consumed.

  2. Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used by gay people to refer to a heterosexual person.

  3. Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used especially by child-free people to refer to a biological parent.

Origin of breeder

1
First recorded in 1525–35; breed + -er1

Other words from breeder

  • non·breed·er, noun

Words Nearby breeder

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use breeder in a sentence

  • The Reformation reduced woman to the position of a mere breeder of children.

    The Necessity of Atheism | Dr. D.M. Brooks
  • The work is equally valuable to the farmer who keeps but few pigs, and to the breeder on an extensive scale.

    The Peanut Plant | B. W. Jones
  • Not only this, she is the brooder and breeder of all primitive doctrines, the conceiver and the mother of all human creeds.

  • Without acknowledge of an animal's points, it is in vain that the breeder can hope for improvement.

    A Treatise on Sheep: | Ambrose Blacklock
  • A day as hot and still as this one was a regular weather breeder; there ought to be rain before night.

    The Escape of Mr. Trimm | Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for breeder

breeder

/ (ˈbriːdə) /


noun
  1. a person who breeds plants or animals

  2. something that reproduces, esp to excess: rabbits are persistent breeders

  1. an animal kept for breeding purposes

  2. a source or cause: a breeder of discontent

  3. short for breeder reactor

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