breed
verb (used with object)
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
have been breeding
-
present perfect progressiveof breed.present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
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 man may have been breeding and selling pit bulls because investigators found 13 dogs, including eight puppies, in the yard, authorities said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2024
“Humans have been breeding plants for a long time and genetically modifying them more recently,” he says.
From Scientific American ● Mar. 31, 2022
Since the beginning of human agriculture more than 10,000 years ago, human groups have been breeding and selecting crop varieties.
From Textbooks ● Sep. 6, 2018
“The reservoirs behind the dams have been breeding grounds for very toxic blue-green algae, and that has really sickened people,” said Stephen Most, a regional historian.
From New York Times ● Sep. 4, 2018
And what has happened to that milk which should have been breeding up sturdy calves?
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
