breed

[breed] /brid/
verb (used with object), bred, breeding.
1.
to produce (offspring); procreate; engender.
2.
to produce by mating; propagate sexually; reproduce:
Ten mice were bred in the laboratory.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Disparaging and Offensive. half-breed (def 2).
Origin
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
breedable, adjective
overbreed, verb (used with object), overbred, overbreeding.
rebreed, verb, rebred, rebreeding.
subbreed, noun
Synonyms
1, 2. beget, bear, generate. 5. promote, occasion, foster, produce, induce, develop. 14. family, pedigree, line.
Examples from the web for breed
  • 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.
  • But the real push for transparency has come from the scandals that often breed in opaque government.
  • Many reputable breeders are now using genetic tests to ensure they produce animals free from diseases that muddy their breed.
  • Our collective fat phobia has driven producers to breed leaner and leaner pork.
  • People have tried to breed them back into existence, but the originals were far larger.
  • In the near future, however, an entirely different breed of creatures could be saving humans in distress.
  • They not only breed with, but also share food with their mates and enjoy mutual grooming.
  • We can afford quite of lot of fun without damaging our capability to breed.
  • On her screen, the larger of two whooping cranes flaunts his outstretched wings, showing that he's ready to breed.
British Dictionary definitions for breed

breed

/briːd/
verb breeds, breeding, bred
1.
to bear (offspring)
2.
(transitive) 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
noun
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
Word Origin
Old English brēdan, of Germanic origin; related to brood
Word Origin and History for breed
v.

Old English bredan "bring young to birth, carry," also "cherish, keep warm," from West Germanic *brodjan (cf. Old High German bruoten, German brüten "to brood, hatch"), from *brod- "fetus, hatchling," from PIE *bhreue- "burn, heat" (see brood (n.)). Original notion of the word was incubation, warming to hatch. Sense of "grow up, be reared" (in a clan, etc.) is late 14c. Related: Bred; breeding.

n.

"race, lineage, stock" (originally of animals), 1550s, from breed (v.). Of persons, from 1590s. Meaning "kind, species" is from 1580s.

breed in Science
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  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.
Idioms and Phrases with breed

breed

see: familiarity breeds contempt
Encyclopedia Article for breed

plant breeding

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 plant breeding with a free trial on Britannica.com