interbreed

[ in-ter-breed ]

/ ˌɪn tərˈbrid /

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See synonyms for: interbreed / interbred / interbreeding on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), in·ter·bred, in·ter·breed·ing.

to crossbreed (a plant or animal).

to cause to breed together.

verb (used without object), in·ter·bred, in·ter·breed·ing.

to crossbreed.

to breed or mate with a closely related individual, as in a small, closed population.

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Origin of interbreed

First recorded in 1855–60; inter- + breed

Words nearby interbreed

interbedded, interblend, interblock gap, interborough, interbrain, interbreed, interbroker dealer, intercalary, intercalary meristem, intercalate, intercalation

How to use interbreed in a sentence

When apes begin to diverge, for whatever reason, they would have still been able to interbreed with each other because they wouldn’t have been a separate species yet.
Humans Are One Mixed-Up Ape - Facts So Romantic|Phil Jaekl|July 9, 2021|Nautilus
Our close relatives like the Neanderthals and Denisovans clearly interbred both with us and each other.
The human family tree keeps getting more complicated|John Timmer|June 24, 2021|Ars Technica
That find indicated that interbreeding outside of Europe dated to as early as 60,000 years ago.
Europe’s oldest known humans mated with Neandertals surprisingly often|Bruce Bower|April 7, 2021|Science News
Research has also shown that humans and Neanderthals interbred, and that Neanderthals were a lot more sophisticated than previously thought.
Evolution: Lab-Grown ‘Mini Brains’ Suggest One Mutation Might Have Rewired the Human Mind|Itzia Ferrer|March 7, 2021|Singularity Hub

These “dispersal morph” individuals interbreed with other colonies’ members and can potentially establish brand new colonies.
Naked mole-rats invade neighboring colonies and steal babies|Jake Buehler|October 20, 2020|Science News
The majority of ornamental ducks interbreed freely in captivity.
Birds in the Calendar|Frederick G. Aflalo
That the domestic hog in some places in northern Luzon does thus interbreed with the wild ones is a proved fact.
The Bontoc Igorot|Albert Ernest Jenks
One of the definitions of species is that they will not interbreed and propagate.
The Other Side of Evolution|Alexander Patterson
Notwithstanding their similarity they do not interbreed when brought together.
Jungle Folk|Douglas Dewar
My experience tends to show that the two species will not interbreed.
Jungle Folk|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for interbreed

interbreed

/ (ˌɪntəˈbriːd) /

verb -breeds, -breeding or -bred

(intr) to breed within a single family or strain so as to produce particular characteristics in the offspring

another term for crossbreed (def. 1)

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

interbreed

Origin of interbreed

Words nearby interbreed

Words related to interbreed

How to use interbreed in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for interbreed