breed

[ breed ]

verb (used with object)

, bred, breed·ing.

1. to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.

   Synonyms: generate, bear, beget

2. to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce:

   Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.

   Synonyms: generate, bear, beget

3. Horticulture.
   1. to cause to reproduce by controlled pollination.
   2. to improve by controlled pollination and selection.
4. to raise (cattle, sheep, etc.):

   He breeds longhorns on the ranch.

5. to cause or be the source of; engender; give rise to:

   Dirt breeds disease. Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes.

   Synonyms: develop, induce, produce, foster, occasion, promote

6. to develop by training or education; bring up; rear:

   He was born and bred a gentleman.

7. Energy. to produce more fissile nuclear fuel than is consumed in a reactor.
8. to impregnate; mate:

   Breed a strong mare with a fast stallion and hope for a Derby winner.

verb (used without object)

, bred, breed·ing.

1. to produce offspring:

   Many animals breed in the spring.

2. to be engendered or produced; grow; develop:

   Bacteria will not breed in alcohol.

3. to cause the birth of young, as in raising stock.
4. to be pregnant.

noun

1. Genetics. a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
2. lineage; stock; strain:

   She comes from a fine breed of people.

   Synonyms: line, pedigree, family

3. sort; kind; group:

   Scholars are a quiet breed.

4. Disparaging and Offensive. half-breed ( def 1 ).

breed

/ briːd /

verb

1. to bear (offspring)
2. tr to bring up; raise
3. to produce or cause to produce by mating; propagate
4. to produce and maintain new or improved strains of (domestic animals and plants)
5. to produce or be produced; generate

   violence breeds in densely populated areas

   to breed trouble

noun

1. a group of organisms within a species, esp a group of domestic animals, originated and maintained by man and having a clearly defined set of characteristics
2. a lineage or race

   a breed of Europeans

3. a kind, sort, or group

   a special breed of hatred

breed

/ brēd /

Verb

1. To produce or reproduce by giving birth or hatching.
2. To raise animals or plants, often to produce new or improved types.

Noun

1. A group of organisms having common ancestors and sharing certain traits that are not shared with other members of the same species. Breeds are usually produced by mating selected parents.

Other Words From

• breeda·ble adjective
• over·breed verb (used with object) overbred overbreeding
• re·breed verb rebred rebreeding
• subbreed noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of breed¹

before 1000; Middle English breden, Old English brēdan to nourish (cognate with Old High German bruotan, German brüten ); noun use from 16th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of breed¹

Old English brēdan , of Germanic origin; related to brood

Idioms and Phrases

see familiarity breeds contempt .

Example Sentences

No, those dogs were trained to do that behavior, wouldn’t naturally have done that behavior, and there was nothing about the breed which is different.

From Freakonomics

Brazil’s herds are dominated by Nelore, a hardy breed that lacks the carcass and meat quality of breeds like Angus but can withstand high heat and humidity.

From Singularity Hub 

Holstein cattle, which almost always carry horned genes, are highly productive dairy cows, so using conventional breeding to introduce hornless genes from less productive breeds can compromise the Holstein’s productivity.

From Singularity Hub 

Scientists will have to look at the methylomes of different dog breeds to see if they differ.

From Science News For Students

This mathematical exercise gives an objective and seemingly precise number for the genetic contribution from each breed.

From Quanta Magazine

The attempt to “breed back” the Auroch of Teutonic legend was of a piece with the Nazi obsession with racial purity and eugenics.

From The Daily Beast

A male and female who do most of the mating dominate packs, and younger subordinates only breed occasionally.

From The Daily Beast

They seem to be a slightly different breed from those in New York or London.

From The Daily Beast

Perhaps, once in awhile, scarcity will breed rational thinking, too.

From The Daily Beast

And I am truly preserving something unique because those garments are like a dying breed.

From The Daily Beast

He was a new breed, that parson, a genuwine no-two-alike, come-one-in-a-box kind.

From Project Gutenberg

When Mac started Gregory back he told him that we would be along presently, then sat himself down on a rock and watched the breed.

From Project Gutenberg

But such a thing as happened this morning must breed doubts and suspicions in a woman who has had the experience I have had.

From Project Gutenberg

None breed, however, in Guernsey itself, or in any of the little rocky islands immediately surrounding it.

From Project Gutenberg

It stays on through the winter, but never remains to breed as it does regularly at Lundy Island.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beget
• create
• engender
• give birth to
• hatch
• induce
• multiply
• produce
• propagate
• reproduce