breed
Use Breed in a sentence
verb (used with object)
1.
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
2.
to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce: Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.
3.
Horticulture.
a.
to cause to reproduce by controlled pollination.
b.
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.
verb (used without object)
9.
to produce offspring: Many animals breed in the spring.
10.
to be engendered or produced; grow; develop: Bacteria will not breed in alcohol.
11.
to cause the birth of young, as in raising stock.
12.
to be pregnant.
00:10
Breed
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is hornswoggle. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to flee; abscond: |
noun
13.
Genetics. a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
14.
lineage; stock; strain: She comes from a fine breed of people.
15.
sort; kind; group: Scholars are a quiet breed.
16.
Origin:
before 1000; Middle English breden, Old English brēdan to nourish (cognate with Old High German bruotan, German brüten); noun use from 16th century
before 1000; Middle English breden, Old English brēdan to nourish (cognate with Old High German bruotan, German brüten); noun use from 16th century
Related forms
breed·a·ble, adjective
o·ver·breed, verb (used with object), o·ver·bred, o·ver·breed·ing.
re·breed, verb, re·bred, re·breed·ing.
sub·breed, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. beget, bear, generate. 5. promote, occasion, foster, produce, induce, develop. 14. family, pedigree, line.
1, 2. beget, bear, generate. 5. promote, occasion, foster, produce, induce, develop. 14. family, pedigree, line.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To breed
Collins
World English Dictionary
breed (briːd) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb , breeds, breeding, bred | |
| 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: to breed trouble; violence breeds in densely populated areas |
| —n | |
| 6. | 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 |
| 7. | a lineage or race: a breed of Europeans |
| 8. | a kind, sort, or group: a special breed of hatred |
| [Old English brēdan, of Germanic origin; related to | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
breed
O.E. bredan "bring young to birth, carry," also "cherish, keep warm," from W.Gmc. *brodjan (cf. O.H.G. bruoten, Ger. brüten "to brood, hatch"), from *brod- "fetus, hatchling," from PIE *bhreue- "burn, heat" (see brood). Original notion of the word was incubation, warming
to hatch. Breeding "good manners" is from 1590s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
| breed (brēd) Pronunciation Key
Verb
Noun 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. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
breed
application of genetic principles to produce plants that are more useful to humans. This is accomplished by selecting plants found to be economically or aesthetically desirable, first by controlling the mating of selected individuals, and then by selecting certain individuals among the progeny. Such processes, repeated over many generations, can change the hereditary makeup and value of a plant population far beyond the natural limits of previously existing populations. This article emphasizes the application of genetic principles to the improvement of plants; the biological factors underlying plant breeding are dealt with in the article heredity.
Learn more about breed with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
Breeding for exaggerated qualities may well bring an end to the breed.
He's a kind of half-breed, and the colour's come off patchy instead of mixing.
They not only breed with, but also share food with their mates and enjoy mutual grooming.
In years when wetlands and pools are dry and food scarce, flamingoes may not breed.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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