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

"With this new information, we can better reconstruct the last 1,500 years of horse breeding history and evolution."

From Science Daily

These stories also tend to be rehashed and retread because fame breeds fascination, of course, and name recognition helps when seeking the eyes and ears of an audience.

From New York Times

Seabirds can breed in very large colonies, sometimes consisting of several hundred thousand pairs.

From Science Daily

A law introduced in February banned people from owning XL bully breeds without an exemption certificate.

From BBC

Valya, a by-any-means-necessary, push-ahead sort, is continuing the late founder’s plan to use a “genetic archive” to implement a long-term plan to breed “better leaders” — which is to say, “leaders we can control.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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