breeding

noun breed·ing

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Examples: breeding in a Sentence

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
—William Shakespeare

b : training in or observance of the proprieties

4 : the sexual propagation of plants or animals

See breeding defined for English-language learners

See breeding defined for kids

Examples of breeding in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of breeding from the Web

California horse breeding is in a precarious stage searching for stallions who can help replace the likes of Unusual Heat, Lucky Pulpit and Benchmark.

— eric sondheimer, latimes.com, "Racing! New stallions try to give a boost in California," 2 July 2018
That means cross-breeding for specific characteristics, including the ability to grow with less light, to accommodate the rising demand for houseplants, as well as more varied, striking colors.

— patrick sisson, Curbed, "Why cactuses and succulents are the perfect plants for this cultural moment," 4 Apr. 2018
Louisiana waterthrushes have arrived in some breeding areas already.

— taylor piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Keep an eye out for ruby-throated hummingbirds this weekend | Charlotte Observer," 29 Mar. 2018
During a typical winter some remain close to their breeding areas while others head into southern Canada and the northern United States, according to the DNR.

— paul a. smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Record number of snowy owls sighted in Wisconsin this winter," 17 Feb. 2018
Craig Ely, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Alaska Science Center, said T186 was banded July 27, 2006, in the Colville River Delta – one of Alaska's five tundra swan breeding areas.

— author: ann cameron siegal, Anchorage Daily News, "U.S. East Coast welcomes northern Alaska’s tundra swans for winter break," 6 Feb. 2018
An adjacent building, which housed a breeding area and infirmary, will likely be torn down.

— nancy sarnoff, Houston Chronicle, "Arabian horse farm to make way for 1,000 homes," 30 Jan. 2018
The entire population could also shift to using beaches further south over time, as rare strays could establish new breeding areas.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Some Great Barrier Reef turtle populations produce nothing but females," 9 Jan. 2018
Outdoors, each rain gutter downspout is connected to one or more 55-gallon rain barrels with covers that also prevents mosquito breeding.

— dawn standke, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Tally up your garden’s earth friendliness," 12 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breeding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of breeding

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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breeding Synonyms

BREEDING Defined for English Language Learners

breeding

noun

Definition of breeding for English Language Learners

: the process by which young animals, birds, etc., are produced by their parents
: the activity of keeping and caring for animals or plants in order to produce more animals or plants of a particular kind
: the way a person was taught in childhood to behave : good manners that come from being raised correctly