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Showing results for crossbred. Search instead for crossbreds.
Synonyms

crossbred

American  
[kraws-bred, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˌbrɛd, ˈkrɒs- /

adjective

  1. produced by crossbreeding.

noun

  1. a crossbreed.

crossbred British  
/ ˈkrɒsˌbrɛd /

adjective

  1. (of plants or animals) produced as a result of crossbreeding

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a crossbred plant or animal, esp an animal resulting from a cross between two pure breeds Compare grade purebred

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of crossbred

First recorded in 1855–60; cross- + bred

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.

American dairy producers are continuing to expand the number of beef cattle they produce that are crossbred with dairy cows, but cattlemen have been reluctant thus far to grow their herds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

It added that when a cocker spaniel was bred with a poodle, those characteristics - combined with them having smaller crossbred offspring - could result in more problem behaviour.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

This evolutionary process leads to the formation of ecotypes, i.e., locally adapted "plant breeds" that differ slightly in appearance and may no longer be easily crossbred.

From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2024

WA 64, first crossbred in 1998, has been researched extensively for more than two decades.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 25, 2023

They reminded me of miniature cafeteria ladies who’d been crossbred with dodo birds.

From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan

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.