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
- nonbreeding adjective
Etymology
Origin of breeding
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 district is treating river breeding sites to reduce populations, but warns this might take several weeks to take effect.
From Los Angeles Times
She laid blame on social media, saying the internet was a "breeding ground" that made it possible for major powers to persuade people to "engage in espionage and spread propaganda" in exchange for payment.
From Barron's
The charity leading the breeding project said the pair's arrival was "brilliant news" and hopes a second pair who nested for the first time in 2025 will also return.
From BBC
After hundreds of generations of human breeding, the dogs that emerged had shorter muzzles, smaller teeth and an enormous range of sizes, from lapdogs to hulking guardians.
From BBC
Fish species that undertake mammoth migrations through rivers, lakes and ponds are facing a combined threat from dams, pollution and overfishing preventing them from reaching their breeding grounds.
From BBC
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.
