breeder
Americannoun
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an animal, plant, or person that produces offspring or reproduces.
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a person who raises animals or plants primarily for breeding purposes.
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Also called breeder reactor. Energy. a nuclear reactor in which more fissile material is produced than is consumed.
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Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used by gay people to refer to a heterosexual person.
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Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used especially by child-free people to refer to a biological parent.
noun
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a person who breeds plants or animals
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something that reproduces, esp to excess
rabbits are persistent breeders
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an animal kept for breeding purposes
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a source or cause
a breeder of discontent
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short for breeder reactor
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of breeder
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.
"People dream every year to have this piece of paper and the rosetta... it's something very special," Italian breeder and handler Mattia Fasso, 29, told AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
In breeder parlance, miniature can apply to any pig under 300 pounds.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
Humboldt seemed to have little chance after Terry Lovinger, a prominent California owner and breeder, spoke.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026
So how did a small plant breeder in Somerset end up selling tropical plants all over the world?
From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025
Antiques and Oriental rugs tell people that my mother may be a dog breeder who dropped out of Bryn Mawr, but she’s got power—because she’s got money.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
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.
