English Explanatory Dictionary

breed

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To produce offspring sexually; to bear young.
  2. To give birth to; to be the native place of.
  3. To mate.
  4. To keep (animals) and have (them) reproduce in a way that improves the next generation's qualities.
  5. To arrange the mating of (specific animals).
  6. To propagate or grow (plants) in an effort to give (them) certain qualities.
  7. To take care of in infancy and through childhood; to bring up.
  8. To yield or result in.
  9. To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated or to grow, like young before birth.
  10. To educate; to instruct; to bring up.
  11. To produce or obtain by any natural process.
  12. To have birth; to be produced, developed, or multiplied.
noun
  1. All animals or plants of the same species or subspecies.
  2. A race or lineage; offspring or issue.
  3. A group of people with shared characteristics.
  4. Ellipsis of half-breed.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A town and unincorporated community therein, in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States, named after postmaster George M. Breed.

Pronunciation

/bɹiːd/ en-us-breed.ogg

Word forms

breed breeds breeding bred breede

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English breden, from Old English brēdan, from Proto-Germanic *brōdijaną (“to brood”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁- (“warm”). Cognate with Scots brede, breid, Saterland Frisian briede, West Frisian briede, Low German bröden, Dutch broeden, German brüten.

Synonyms

raise bring up rear creampie cream

Related words

breed in the bone

Derived words

best of breed breedable breedbate breeder breed in and in breeding breed like rabbits breed up breedy colorbreed cross-breed crossbreed inbreed interbreed outbreed overbreed rebreed self-breed slave-breeding upbreed misbreed unbreed underbreed xbreed a breed apart breedism breedist different breed of cat dying breed Half-Breed intrabreed mixed-breed multibreed purebreed subbreed thoroughbreed
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