breeding

breed·ing

noun

Definition of BREEDING

1

: the action or process of bearing or generating

2

: ancestry

3

a archaic : education <she had her breeding at my father's charge — Shakespeare>

b : training in or observance of the proprieties

4

: the sexual propagation of plants or animals

Examples of BREEDING

1. She became involved in the breeding of sled dogs.
2. His politeness shows good breeding.
3. a person who lacks breeding

First Known Use of BREEDING

14th century

Related to BREEDING

Synonyms

birth, blood, bloodline, ancestry, descent, extraction, family tree, genealogy, line, lineage, origin, parentage, pedigree, stock, strain

Antonyms

issue, posterity, progeny, seed

Related Words

heredity, succession; family, house; kin, kindred, relations, relatives; race

Near Antonyms

offspring; child, heir, inheritor, son, successor

Rhymes with BREEDING

bleeding, leading, reading, reeding

breeding

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Application of genetic principles in animal husbandry, agriculture, and horticulture to improve desirable qualities. Ancient agriculturists improved many plants through selective cultivation. Modern plant breeding centres on pollination; pollen from the chosen male parent, and no other pollen, must be transferred to the female parent. Animal breeding consists of choosing the ideal trait (e.g., fine wool, high milk production), selecting the breeding stock, and determining the breeding system (e.g., crossbreeding, inbreeding).