breeding

noun breed·ing

Definition of breeding

1 : the action or process of bearing or generating
2 : ancestry
3a archaic : education she had her breeding at my father's charge — William Shakespeareb : 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

Only pregnant females of this species truly hibernate, but historically, Iceland never had a breeding population.

— michael engelhard, Smithsonian, "How Polar Bears Became the Dragons of the North", 31 May 2017
Officials will be working to eliminate potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes and will also be spraying to control the population.

— baltimoresun.com, "Maryland officials begin efforts to combat mosquitoes", 31 May 2017
The displaced can check in at a government hospital, or fill up jerrycans at a water tank, even if the scattered camps are crowded and makeshift, and perfect breeding grounds for diseases such as cholera.

— max bearak, Washington Post, "In Somalia, Islamist rebels are blocking starving people from getting food", 27 May 2017
Fiona doesn’t share bloodlines with any jaguars in North America, which puts her at the top of the list in terms of breeding.

— brian ballou, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Jaguar, almost killed by hunting dogs as cub, makes zoo debut", 27 May 2017
Their high breeding rate and lack of natural predators has seen their population explode.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Those Little Flags Matter", 26 May 2017
Independent growers have been hoping that both parties—the university and the professors’ firm—continue their breeding efforts aimed at improving California varieties and keeping its strawberries at the forefront of the worldwide market.

— michael hiltzik, latimes.com, "The University of California wins a jury verdict in strawberry case, then gets blasted by the judge", 25 May 2017
Sea lions are also known to be curious, and have circled and investigated divers who stray into their breeding territory.

— delaney chambers, National Geographic, "Watch: Why This Sea Lion Dragged a Girl Into the Sea", 21 May 2017
From botany came the genetics of Mendel and Lamarck, formalizing the patient plant-breeding that created 10,000 years of agriculture.

— amory b. lovins and l. hunter lovins, WIRED, "A Tale of Two Botanies", 1 Apr. 2000

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

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