breed
verb (used with object)
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
had bred
-
past perfectof breed.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
John and Diane Fradkin, of Santa Ana, had other ideas about what to do with the colt they not only own but also had bred.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2021
Growing up in Krefeld, Germany, Leendertz had bred mice and toads and spent a lot of time at the local zoo.
From Science Magazine ● Jan. 28, 2021
Mr Piotrowski said a pair of peregrines had bred three chicks at a nest on the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich, but all three had been killed after flying into traffic.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2016
Asked about the danger of moving genes among species where they had not originated, Dr. Suzuki explained that for millenniums, humans had bred crops of the same species to produce desired traits.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2014
He had bred the first peregrines in captivity and, using an ancient technique called hacking, had been able to free them to the wild.
From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
