Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

purebred

[adjective pyoo r-bred; noun pyoo r-bred]
See more synonyms for purebred on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of or relating to an animal, all of whose ancestors derive over many generations from a recognized breed.
Show More
noun
  1. a purebred animal, especially one of registered pedigree.
Show More

Origin of purebred

First recorded in 1865–70; pure + bred
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pure-bred

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The botanical characters of Concord indicate that it is a pure-bred Labrusca.

  • With them, too, I want a good sire, a pure-bred Yorkshire or Berkshire.

    The Prairie Mother

    Arthur Stringer

  • A King, he will die royally: of an insolent race but pure-bred.

    The Mesmerist's Victim

    Alexandre Dumas

  • I want none but pure-bred fowls in my collection, nor will I have them there, either.

  • And the pure-bred Brazilian native has not been entirely wiped off the face of his homeland.

    Rubber

    Edith A. Browne

British Dictionary definitions for pure-bred

purebred

adjective (ˈpjʊəˈbrɛd)
  1. denoting a pure strain obtained through many generations of controlled breeding for desirable traits
Show More
noun (ˈpjʊəˌbrɛd)
  1. a purebred animalCompare grade (def. 9), crossbred (def. 2)
Show More
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

Word Origin and History for pure-bred

purebred

adj.

1868, from pure + bred.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper