purebred

[ adjective pyoor-bred; noun pyoor-bred ]
See 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.

noun
  1. a purebred animal, especially one of registered pedigree.

Origin of purebred

1
First recorded in 1865–70; pure + bred

Words Nearby purebred

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use purebred in a sentence

  • 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 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • He bought purebred cows from the B-line folks, and sold them the big, weaned calves.

    David Lannarck, Midget | George S. Harney
  • purebred livestock is raised on many of the farms in this vicinity.

    North Dakota | Various
  • They were bigger than the purebred Kent lambs, and seemed hardy enough.

    Joanna Godden | Sheila Kaye-Smith
  • 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
  • "Thoroughbred for a horse, and purebred for a cow," Rose repeated willingly.

    Dust | Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

British Dictionary definitions for purebred

purebred

adjective(ˈpjʊəˈbrɛd)
  1. denoting a pure strain obtained through many generations of controlled breeding for desirable traits

noun(ˈpjʊəˌbrɛd)
  1. a purebred animal: Compare 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