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.
For several years, London has been losing ground to its star-studded rivals in Paris and Milan, but it has clung onto its role as a breeding ground for young talent.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
He said buffet-style catering can increase the risk and be a "breeding ground" for bacteria and viruses.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
EDF then suggested a plan to flood 1,500 acres of nearby coast to create a salt marsh breeding ground to offset any fish death.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 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
Another bonanza was the development of world trade routes, which by Roman times effectively joined the populations of Europe, Asia, and North Africa into one giant breeding ground for microbes.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
