bred
ˈbred 
; breeding
; breeding
1
: to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation
yet every mother breeds not sons alike—
Shakespeare
Shakespeare2
a
: beget sense 1
He bred a daughter.
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
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
2
: to propagate animals or plants
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))
Synonyms
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 WebLouis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Because they were bred for companionship, Italian greyhounds often make strong connections to their owners and will rarely leave their sides.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023
Wildfires and floods breed anxiety, despair and isolation, all of which can exacerbate substance use.
—Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023
Today, there are about 500 of the birds, with New Zealand's Department of Conservation breeding them in captivity.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week, 7 Sep. 2023
The event will honor Ruth Kobayashi, who has been breeding flowers for three decades and will be recognized with the 2023 Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023
Colorado’s cliffs and caves also provide homes for one of the most mysterious migrating birds: the black swift, which sometimes breeds behind waterfalls.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Mosquitoes, for example, depend on water sources to breed, Dietrich said.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
Familiarity breeds success for FanDuel, DraftKings Four primary sportsbooks have acquired a 90% market share of the industry, according to Eilers & Krejcik.
—Chris Bumbaca, The Courier-Journal, 5 Sep. 2023
Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023
The easy-to-use swab kit screens for 350+ different breeds and shares the percentage of each to give owners a picture of their dog’s heritage.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2023
However, more research is needed to fully understand its efficacy and determine the appropriate dosages for different breeds and sizes of dogs.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023
The gene occurs naturally in at least six different cattle breeds across the world, including Senepol cows in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
The wood thrush, whose heralded song is often said to sound like a flute, breeds throughout the eastern United States, but its population has plummeted over the last half century.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Being a 1974, this example has the square taillights of the later 2002 models; enthusiasts of the breed may argue that the earlier round taillights are a little prettier (although the earlier chrome bumpers have been retrofitted).
—Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2023
Meet and play with more than 200 different dog breeds, watch demonstrations and competitions, and get advice from animal experts.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
In general, larger breeds need shorter leashes, and vice versa.
—Mike Richard, Women's Health, 23 Aug. 2023
See More
Verb
The animals breed prolifically, devour all manner of plants, distribute copious amounts of dung around waterways and associate people and cars with food.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023
Because they were bred for companionship, Italian greyhounds often make strong connections to their owners and will rarely leave their sides.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023
Wildfires and floods breed anxiety, despair and isolation, all of which can exacerbate substance use.
—Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023
Today, there are about 500 of the birds, with New Zealand's Department of Conservation breeding them in captivity.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week, 7 Sep. 2023
The event will honor Ruth Kobayashi, who has been breeding flowers for three decades and will be recognized with the 2023 Paul Ecke Jr. Award of Excellence.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2023
Colorado’s cliffs and caves also provide homes for one of the most mysterious migrating birds: the black swift, which sometimes breeds behind waterfalls.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Mosquitoes, for example, depend on water sources to breed, Dietrich said.
—Rebecca Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023
Familiarity breeds success for FanDuel, DraftKings Four primary sportsbooks have acquired a 90% market share of the industry, according to Eilers & Krejcik.
—Chris Bumbaca, The Courier-Journal, 5 Sep. 2023
Noun
Cowboys 24, Jets 10 Fully convinced that Micah Parsons is a different breed.
—Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023
The easy-to-use swab kit screens for 350+ different breeds and shares the percentage of each to give owners a picture of their dog’s heritage.
—Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2023
However, more research is needed to fully understand its efficacy and determine the appropriate dosages for different breeds and sizes of dogs.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023
The gene occurs naturally in at least six different cattle breeds across the world, including Senepol cows in Saint Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
—Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
The wood thrush, whose heralded song is often said to sound like a flute, breeds throughout the eastern United States, but its population has plummeted over the last half century.
—Emily Anthes, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Being a 1974, this example has the square taillights of the later 2002 models; enthusiasts of the breed may argue that the earlier round taillights are a little prettier (although the earlier chrome bumpers have been retrofitted).
—Brendan McAleer, Car and Driver, 26 Aug. 2023
Meet and play with more than 200 different dog breeds, watch demonstrations and competitions, and get advice from animal experts.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2023
In general, larger breeds need shorter leashes, and vice versa.
—Mike Richard, Women's Health, 23 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breed.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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
1553, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of breed was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing breed
Dictionary Entries Near breed
Cite this Entry
“Breed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breed. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
breed
1 of 2 verb
bred
ˈbred
; breeding
; 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
Medical Definition
breed
1 of 2 verb
bred
ˈbred
; breeding
; breeding
1
: to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation
2
: to propagate (plants or animals) sexually and usually under controlled conditions
3
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
More from Merriam-Webster on breed
Nglish: Translation of breed for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of breed for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about breed
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