breed

1 of 2

verb

ˈbrēd 

bred ˈbred  ; breeding

transitive verb

1

: to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike …

—William Shakespeare

2

a

: beget sense 1

He bred a daughter.

b

: produce, engender

despair often breeds violence

3

biology : to propagate (plants or animals) sexually and usually under controlled conditions

bred several strains of corn together to produce a superior variety

4

a

: bring up, nurture

We were born and bred in the country.

b

: to inculcate by training

breed good manners into one's children

5

a

: mate entry 4 sense 3

the business of breeding cattle

a horse that is bred to a donkey

b

: to mate with : inseminate

c

: impregnate sense 2

delivered her kittens 63 days after being bred

6

physics : to produce (a fissionable element) by bombarding a nonfissionable element with neutrons from a radioactive element

intransitive verb

1

a

: to produce offspring by sexual union

places where mosquitoes breed

b

: copulate, mate

2

: to propagate animals or plants

breed

2 of 2

noun

1

biology : a group of usually domesticated animals or plants presumably related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characters

exotic breeds of cats

retrievers and other popular dog breeds

2

: a number of persons of the same stock (see stock entry 1 sense 4a(1))

3

: class, kind

a new breed of athlete

such people are a dying breed

Synonyms of breed

Verb

• reproduce
• propagate
• multiply

Noun

• type
• kind
• genre
• stripe
• sort
• variety

Examples of breed in a Sentence

Verb

He got into the business of breeding cattle.

The plants are bred to resist disease and drought.

She believes that we are breeding a generation of children who know nothing about the history of their country.

Noun

The collie is a working breed.

a new breed of athlete

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Alarmism could breed alarming policies. —Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Native fish, including the chubs and flannelmouth suckers, have responded by growing bigger and successfully breeding, Ward said. —Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Noun

As this new breed of college sports FOIAer has entered the scrum, one of the practice’s standard-bearers bid farewell, at least for now. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 17 Dec. 2025

My colleague Ruth Umoh spent months talking to board directors, management consultants, leadership advisors, recruiters, and current and former CEOs to identify 25 rising executives inside the Fortune 500 who exhibit the skills and mindset of a new breed of CEO. —Diane Brady, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English breden, from Old English brēdan; akin to Old English brōd brood

Noun

noun derivative of breed entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breed

• a breed apart
• breed to
• dying breed
• rare breed

Rhymes for breed

• bead
• bleed
• brede
• cede
• creed
• deed
• feed
• freed
• greed
• heed
• keyed
• knead

Kids Definition

breed

1 of 2 verb

ˈbrēd 

bred ˈbred  ; breeding

1

: to produce (plants or animals) by sexual reproduction

breed cattle

2

: to produce offspring by sexual reproduction

3

: bring up sense 1, train

born and bred in this town

4

: bring about, cause

familiarity breeds contempt

5

: to produce (a fissionable element) by bombarding an element that is not fissionable with neutrons from a radioactive element so that more fissionable material is produced than is used up

breeder noun

breed

2 of 2 noun

1

: a group of animals or plants usually found only under human care and different from related kinds

a breed of cattle

2

: kind, class

Medical Definition

breed

1 of 2 verb

ˈbrēd 

bred ˈbred  ; breeding

transitive verb

1

: to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation

2

: to propagate (plants or animals) sexually and usually under controlled conditions

3

a

: mate

b

: to mate with : inseminate

c

: impregnate sense 1

intransitive verb

1

a

: to produce offspring by sexual union

b

: copulate, mate

2

: to propagate animals or plants

breed

2 of 2 noun

: a group of animals or plants presumably related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characters

especially : such a group differentiated from the wild type under domestication