inbreed
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to breed (individuals of a closely related group) repeatedly.
-
to breed within; engender.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to breed from unions between closely related individuals, esp over several generations
-
(tr) to develop within; engender
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inbreed
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.
See Examples For:
Now researchers have figured out one reason the critters are so hardy: they can inbreed, quite robustly, for generations.
From Time ● Dec. 7, 2011
It turns out that unlike most creatures, bedbugs are able to inbreed with close relatives and still produce generally healthy offspring.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 7, 2011
Bed bugs inbreed without ill effects, the researchers said, so even a single mated bed bug can lead to a colony of the blood-sucking insects.
From BusinessWeek ● Dec. 6, 2011
For such a group, to survive is to inbreed, and the Amish have more than survived; they now number 44,000.
From Time Magazine Archive
The firm’s potent culture, Mr. Blankfein once said, blended confidence and excellence with “an inbred insecurity that drives people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Greene adds: "Keijo is inbred, so it's even more concerning that his semen might be used for breeding of captive orcas."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2025
Inside the painting is a rendering of Kenny the Tiger, the famous inbred white Bengal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025
Not only that, but the pupfish are believed to be one of the most inbred of all species, a lack of genetic variation that makes it difficult for the creatures to procreate and thrive.
From New York Times ● May 9, 2024
As with language, the system is governed by genes, and there are genetic differences between species and between inbred animals of the same species.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
This hidden genetic diversity may help explain how a population founded by only a handful of snakes survived intense inbreeding, adapted to Guam, and expanded so dramatically.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
With fewer genetic differences to draw upon, inbreeding would normally reduce a species' ability to adapt and make rapid population growth less likely.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
In Southern California, lions have shown deformities from inbreeding, including kinked tails and malformed sperm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
In many species, inbreeding can reduce health and fitness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025
He was a businessman, pronounced ztfynessman in his case, a hardworking, earthbound professional, more concerned with inbreeding among the lions than any overarching moral or existential scheme.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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.
