breed

breed

verb

Definition of BREED

1

to bring forth offspring <rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated>

Synonyms breed, multiply, propagate, reproduce

Related Words bear, beget, engender, gender, generate, get, have, mother, parent, produce, sire; hatch, spawn

2

to bring to maturity through care and education <he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain>

Synonyms breed, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, rear

Related Words father, mother; attend, care (for), cradle, cultivate, mind, minister (to), nurture, watch; discipline, educate, instruct, mentor, school, teach, train, tutor; edify, enlighten, indoctrinate; feed, provide (for), supply; advance, forward, further, promote; prepare; direct, guide, lead, shepherd, show

Near Antonyms abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mishandle, mistreat; ignore, neglect; harm, hurt, injure

3

to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) <this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment>

Synonyms beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield

Related Words conduce (to), contribute (to); decide, determine; begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start; advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote; enact, render, turn out

Near Antonyms impede, limit, restrict; clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress; arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard; can [slang], kill, snuff (out), still; abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

4

to engage in sexual intercourse <cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night>

Synonyms breed, mate, sleep

Related Words fool around, fornicate

5

to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set <parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes>

Synonyms breed, enroot, inculcate, infix, inseminate, instill, plant, sow

Related Words drive, hammer, pound; embed (also imbed), entrench (also intrench), fix, lodge, root; imbue, infuse, ingrain (also engrain), inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse