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
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.
Today, the island is also home to 200 sheep and around 30,000 breeding pairs of Manx shearwater birds.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
"If a male from one breeding area arrives in another and sings, he could seed an entirely new musical influence."
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Some whales may then return along a different migration route, eventually settling in a completely new breeding region.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Colbert responded humorously about a ‘captive breeding program’ for the Jimmys.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll try breeding her in a few months. Maybe she’ll give me a dairy cow. We sure haven’t been lucky lately. Both Butter and Sophie gave us bulls.”
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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.
