interbreed

American

[in-ter-breed] / ˌɪn tərˈbrid /

verb (used with object)

interbred, interbreeding

to crossbreed (a plant or animal).
to cause to breed together.

verb (used without object)

interbred, interbreeding

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

interbreed British

/ ˌɪntəˈbriːd /

verb

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

"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 interbreed

First recorded in 1855–60; inter- + breed

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.

Even though different species can still interbreed, these inversions limit how much their DNA mixes, helping maintain distinct traits.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

Barred owls and spotted owls are similar in appearance and the birds can even interbreed.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2025

"Over time we are going to have this entire lineage of cold adapted elephants that we can put back into the wild that can interbreed"

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2025

Even if breeding succeeds, it can lead to infertile offspring, such as mules, or to the two species gradually merging into one as they interbreed over generations.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 17, 2024

Kneazles have up to eight kittens in a Utter and can interbreed with cats.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023