brood

American  

[brood] / brud /

noun

1. a number of young produced or hatched at one time; a family of offspring or young.

2. a breed, species, group, or kind.

   The museum exhibited a brood of monumental sculptures.

   Synonyms:

   strain, stock, line

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verb (used with object)

1. to sit upon (eggs) to hatch, as a bird; incubate.

2. (of a bird) to warm, protect, or cover (young) with the wings or body.

3. to think or worry persistently or moodily about; ponder.

   He brooded the problem.

verb (used without object)

1. to sit upon eggs to be hatched, as a bird.

2. to dwell on a subject or to meditate with morbid persistence (usually followed by over oron ).

adjective

1. kept for breeding.

   a brood hen.

verb phrase

1. brood above / over to cover, loom, or seem to fill the atmosphere or scene.

   The haunted house on the hill brooded above the village.

brood British  

/ bruːd /

noun

1. a number of young animals, esp birds, produced at one hatching

2. all the offspring in one family: often used jokingly or contemptuously

3. a group of a particular kind; breed

4. (as modifier) kept for breeding

   a brood mare

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verb

1. 1. to sit on or hatch (eggs)

   2. (tr) to cover (young birds) protectively with the wings

2. to ponder morbidly or persistently

Related Words

Brood, litter refer to young creatures. Brood is especially applied to the young of fowls and birds hatched from eggs at one time and raised under their mother's care: a brood of young turkeys. Litter is applied to a group of young animals brought forth at a birth: a litter of kittens or pups.

Other Word Forms

• brooding noun
• broodingly adverb
• broodless adjective
• unbrooded adjective

Etymology

Origin of brood

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English brōd; cognate with Dutch broed, German Brut; breed

Example Sentences

In those cases, fledging mass can drop by up to 27%, particularly for broods that hatch later in the breeding season.

From Science Daily

They are forever setting on nests hatching out chicks, brooding and clucking and attacking anything that comes close.

From Literature

"The mood is almost brooding. There is a deep sense of betrayal from the Americans. And less trust in the Europeans. And now all this distraction. It's not great."

From BBC

When I came back, Oliver was sitting in a booth by the window, brooding as he stared at the table.

From Literature

When I would wake up, I would brood over it, and Dr. Kane has said to me more than once, “Maggie, I see that the vampire is over you still.”

From Literature

Related Words

• daydream
• fret
• grieve
• meditate
• mope
• ruminate
• sulk