breeding

noun

breed·​ing ˈbrē-diŋ 

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

Synonyms

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

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 on the Web

Miami-Dade alone has 53 different mosquito species, and each has a different behavior, breeding habits, some transmit diseases and others don’t. —Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025

The clip shows the one-eyed puppy running around his new home, chasing after other dogs, and playing with Stewie who is a former breeding rabbit. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Apr. 2025

Shoaling, as opposed to schooling, is a social behavior that could affect breeding and cohesion among groups of fish. —New Atlas, 20 Apr. 2025

But evidence gathered from witnesses, surveillance video footage and text messages revealed the men operated a dog breeding business, according to court records. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breeding

• breeding ground
• breeding season
• selective breeding

Rhymes for breeding

• beading
• bleeding
• ceding
• feeding
• heeding
• kneading
• leading
• needing
• pleading
• reding
• seeding
• speeding

Kids Definition

breeding

noun

breed·​ing

1

: ancestry sense 1

2

: training especially in manners

3

: the producing and raising of plants or animals by sexual reproduction