breeding ground
Americannoun
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a place where animals breed or to which they return to breed.
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an environment suitable for or fostering the development of an idea, thing, etc..
a breeding ground for violence.
Etymology
Origin of breeding ground
First recorded in 1930–35
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.
A group that helped more than 1,000 toads reach their breeding ground safely say they fear the creatures have died after a reservoir was drained.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026
“And that ambiguity naturally creates a breeding ground for people to play with the linguistic terms.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026
Scientists at the breeding ground on the Valdes Peninsula along Argentina's coast have determined that 97 percent of elephant seal pups died either from being abandoned or contracting bird flu in 2023.
From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025
A single swimming pool can become a breeding ground for as many as 3 million mosquitoes in one month.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025
The overpopulation created a breeding ground for illness.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
