Advertisement

Advertisement

inbreeding

[ in-bree-ding ]

noun

, Biology.
  1. the mating of closely related individuals, as cousins, sire-daughter, brother-sister, or self-fertilized plants, which tends to increase the number of individuals that are homozygous for a trait and therefore increases the appearance of recessive traits.


inbreeding

/ ĭnbrē′dĭng /

  1. The breeding or mating of related individuals within an isolated or closed group of organisms or people. Inbreeding can result in inbreeding depression. However, in agriculture and animal husbandry, the continued breeding of closely related individuals can help to preserve desirable traits in a stock.


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of inbreeding1

First recorded in 1835–45; inbreed + -ing 1

Discover More

Example Sentences

Vehicle collisions and inbreeding are also significant concerns.

As a result, many plants and animals have evolved innovative ways to avoid inbreeding.

The family also believed that inbreeding was central to both preserving the family fortune and ensuring “purity of blood.”

Their network of super-elite inbreeding and strategic couplings had united the West in a deathly embrace.

Their excuse for the killing the giraffe was that they were worried about inbreeding.

Break out the banjos and inbreeding jokes, folks, the Appalachian lounge suit is back.

These were placed upon their estates, "Crabbet Park," to continue inbreeding as upon the desert, pure to its blood.

This is probably one of the most remarkable cases of inbreeding on record, as the breed is also one of the most remarkable.

All the trouble attending inbreeding, crossing or grading comes from not properly regarding this fact.

But crossing or grading animals having the same failing will prove just as disastrous as would inbreeding.

This is due either to scanty and unvaried food or to excessive inbreeding, or probably to both.

Advertisement

Word of the Day

petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


inbreedinbreeding depression