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 customs and manners of polite society

4

: the sexual propagation of plants or animals

Synonyms of breeding

• lineage
• ancestry
• pedigree
• origin
• genealogy
• family

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

This includes plasma heating systems, thermal-hydraulic analysis, tritium breeding, as well as recovery technologies, and overall reactor design. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 16 July 2026

Retrieve a Golden volunteer Gretchen Austin told WDTV 5 that Skye had been rescued from a commercial breeding facility before joining the Aho family. — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026

For years, the only factory breeding sterile flies in the Western Hemisphere was in Panama, but the USDA invested $21 million to convert a site in southern Mexico from breeding fruit flies to recently start breeding screwworm flies. — John Hanna, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

Because of that, Bigley’s roadside observations can offer not only an early glimpse at the water year ahead but also local recreation options and Chinook salmon breeding. — Corey Schmidt july 10, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026

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