51Թ

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View synonyms for

breed

[breed]

verb (used with object)

bred, breeding 
  1. to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.

    Synonyms: , ,
  2. to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce.

    Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.

    Synonyms: , ,
  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: , , , , ,
  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, breeding 
  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: , ,
  3. sort; kind; group.

    Scholars are a quiet breed.

  4. Disparaging and Offensive.half-breed.

breed

/ ː /

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

    to breed trouble

    violence breeds in densely populated areas

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

breed

  1. To produce or reproduce by giving birth or hatching.

  2. To raise animals or plants, often to produce new or improved types.

  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.

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Other 51Թ Forms

  • breedable adjective
  • overbreed verb (used with object)
  • rebreed verb
  • subbreed noun
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of breed1

before 1000; Middle English breden, Old English ŧ岹 to nourish (cognate with Old High German bruotan, German üٱ ); noun use from 16th century
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of breed1

Old English ŧ岹 , of Germanic origin; related to brood
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Idioms and Phrases

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"It breeds the best in me when I'm up against guys and competing," he says.

From

Somehow, a shark is loose in the Seine, and it’s about to breed a ton of baby sharks.

From

Horse racing is immune from dynasties because the sport is built mostly around breeding, which is where the money is.

From

The outbreak was particularly deadly for breeding females.

From

Rigoletto orchestrates his own downfall and Kelsey’s horror at the end feels like the unleashing of a new breed of violence.

From

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