- present participle of breed.
breeding
Americannoun
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the producing of offspring.
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the improvement or development of breeds of livestock, as by selective mating and hybridization.
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Horticulture. the production of new forms by selection, crossing, and hybridizing.
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training; nurture.
He is a man of good breeding.
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the result of upbringing or training as shown in behavior and manners; manners, especially good manners.
You can tell when a person has breeding.
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Energy. the production in a nuclear reactor of more fissile material than is consumed.
noun
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the process of bearing offspring; reproduction
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the process of producing plants or animals by sexual reproduction
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the result of good training, esp the knowledge of correct social behaviour; refinement
a man of breeding
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a person's line of descent
his breeding was suspect
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physics a process occurring in a nuclear reactor as a result of which more fissionable material is produced than is used up
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of breeding
Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; see origin at breed, -ing 1
Vocabulary lists containing breeding
Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - Middle School
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Growth, Development and Reproduction of Organisms - High School
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The Killer Angels
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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.
The best way to prevent infection is to stop mosquitoes from breeding around your home and avoid getting bit.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
At the end of last year, South Korea announced it would ban the breeding and possession of bears and the extraction of their bile.
From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026
In January 2024, the country passed a law banning the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for food.
From Barron's • Jun. 28, 2026
According to Kuchipudi, this made the mammary glands a "perfect breeding ground for the virus."
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
As the two ran side by side, the gleam of their headpieces told her it was the breeding season of the caribou.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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.
