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breed
[ breed ]
verb (used with object)
- to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
Synonyms: , ,
- to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce:
Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.
Synonyms: , ,
- Horticulture.
- to cause to reproduce by controlled pollination.
- to improve by controlled pollination and selection.
- to raise (cattle, sheep, etc.):
He breeds longhorns on the ranch.
- to cause or be the source of; engender; give rise to:
Dirt breeds disease. Stagnant water breeds mosquitoes.
Synonyms: , , , , ,
- to develop by training or education; bring up; rear:
He was born and bred a gentleman.
- Energy. to produce more fissile nuclear fuel than is consumed in a reactor.
- to impregnate; mate:
Breed a strong mare with a fast stallion and hope for a Derby winner.
verb (used without object)
- to produce offspring:
Many animals breed in the spring.
- to be engendered or produced; grow; develop:
Bacteria will not breed in alcohol.
- to cause the birth of young, as in raising stock.
- to be pregnant.
noun
- Genetics. a relatively homogenous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
- lineage; stock; strain:
She comes from a fine breed of people.
Synonyms: , ,
- sort; kind; group:
Scholars are a quiet breed.
- Disparaging and Offensive. half-breed ( def 1 ).
breed
/ ː /
verb
- to bear (offspring)
- tr to bring up; raise
- to produce or cause to produce by mating; propagate
- to produce and maintain new or improved strains of (domestic animals and plants)
- to produce or be produced; generate
violence breeds in densely populated areas
to breed trouble
noun
- 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
- a lineage or race
a breed of Europeans
- a kind, sort, or group
a special breed of hatred
breed
Verb
- To produce or reproduce by giving birth or hatching.
- To raise animals or plants, often to produce new or improved types.
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.
Other Word Forms
- a· adjective
- v· verb (used with object) overbred overbreeding
- · verb rebred rebreeding
- ܲb noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of breed1
Word History and Origins
Origin of breed1
Idioms and Phrases
see familiarity breeds contempt .Example Sentences
Animal rights groups want the orcas to be rehomed in a whale sanctuary where they will have more space to swim and will not be forced to breed or perform in shows.
"This is a critical time of year for our native wildlife – with birds nesting and other animals such as amphibians and reptiles coming out of winter dormancy and starting to breed."
Their conservation breeding program that was established in the 1990s has successfully produced over 100 hatchlings.
I regularly overhear other birders marveling over the flashy warblers in breeding plumage, while overlooking other comparatively less-flashy birds like vireos and sparrows.
On Wednesday, the Colorado-based organization posted a YouTube video of the birds’ annual migratory trek across the ice to their breeding grounds.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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