purebred

[adjective pyoo r-bred; noun pyoo r-bred]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR purebred ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or relating to an animal, all of whose ancestors derive over many generations from a recognized breed.

noun

a purebred animal, especially one of registered pedigree.

Origin of purebred

First recorded in 1865–70; pure + bred

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for purebred

thoroughbred, full-blooded, registered, unmixed

Examples from the Web for purebred

Contemporary Examples of purebred

Are the Brogpas of Kashmir in India really the last bastion of purebred Aryans?
The Himalayas’ Hidden Aryans
Nina Strochlic
January 3, 2015
She says the Humane Society would like to enforce spay and neuter laws to the point where there would be no purebred dogs left.
The Sleazy War on the Humane Society
Center for Public Integrity
August 18, 2014
Buying a purebred puppy is the type of discretionary spending that has probably fallen off in recent months and could use a boost.
Puppygate
Lee Aitken
November 6, 2008

Historical Examples of purebred

"Thoroughbred for a horse, and purebred for a cow," Rose repeated willingly.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius
Purebred livestock is raised on many of the farms in this vicinity.
North Dakota
Various
I might stand one or the other purebred, but the cross seems to bring out the worst strain in both.
Somewhere in Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
They were bigger than the purebred Kent lambs, and seemed hardy enough.
Joanna Godden
Sheila Kaye-Smith

British Dictionary definitions for purebred

purebred

adjective (ˈpjʊəˈbrɛd)

denoting a pure strain obtained through many generations of controlled breeding for desirable traits

noun (ˈpjʊəˌbrɛd)

a purebred animalCompare grade (def. 9), crossbred (def. 2)

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 purebred

adj.

1868, from pure + bred.