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

The pocket is a variant of the American bully breed, which includes the larger and more muscular XL.

From BBC

White people are an endangered breed, fighting to delay their extinction.

From Salon

Some downballot results seem to confirm this anti-incumbent fervor: Voters in California, for example, tossed out the progressive L.A. prosecutor George Gascón, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.

From Slate

If Trump did not have any involvement in this escapade, Patrushev’s gambit shows—some would say, confirms—that Russia’s main goal, in all these misinformation ventures, is to sow chaos, breed mistrust, and weaken the sinews of democracy in Western countries, especially in the U.S., regardless of who is the president.

From Slate

In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed lost her reelection bid in a race against four high-profile Democrats, two of them fellow moderates.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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