interbreed

in·ter·breed | \ ˌin-tər-ˈbrēd

How to pronounce interbreed (audio)

\

interbred\ ˌin-tər-ˈbred

How to pronounce interbred (audio)

\; interbreeding

Definition of interbreed

intransitive verb

: to breed together: such as

b : to breed within a closed population

transitive verb

: to cause to breed together

Examples of interbreed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Willerslev believes Yana’s inhabitants were likely replaced by, and interbred with, the paleo-Siberians who did eventually migrate into North America. — Rafal Gerszak, Smithsonian, "It’s one of the greatest mysteries of our time. But archaeologists and even geneticists are closer than ever to understanding when humans made the first bold journey to the Americas," 19 Dec. 2019 The genetic imprint is not as visible as might be expected if interbreeding occurred, but Harpending offers an explanation. — Gary Stix, Scientific American, "Traces of a Distant Past," 1 Nov. 2012 Scientists have since determined that Denisovans interbred with both modern humans and Neanderthals. — Briana Pobiner, Smithsonian, "Here’s What 2019 Scientific Discovery Taught Us About Our Human Origins," 13 Dec. 2019 Capra's new study takes advantage of the fact that Neanderthals interbred with modern humans (yes, Jean Auel was a prescient genius). — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Neanderthals were different because their genes were regulated differently," 31 Oct. 2019 The birds showed a preference for birds of the same scent, which keeps the two populations from interbreeding. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Birds Sniff Each Other’s Bacteria to Help Choose a Mate," 11 Nov. 2019 Denisovans not only interbred with Neanderthals, but with archaic Eurasian humans as well. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "This is what mysterious ancient humans might have looked like," 19 Sep. 2019 Denisovans not only interbred with Neanderthals, but with archaic Eurasian humans as well. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "This is what mysterious ancient humans might have looked like," 19 Sep. 2019 Even so, our species interbred with both and picked up genetic markers that are still detectable in some people today. — Los Angeles Times, "DNA lets scientists peer into the faces of our ancient cousins, the Denisovans," 19 Sep. 2019

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

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Dictionary Entries near interbreed

intercalary meristem

Statistics for interbreed

Last Updated

19 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Interbreed.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interbreed. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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More Definitions for interbreed

interbreed

verb

English Language Learners Definition of interbreed

: to cause animals of two different species to produce young animals that are a mixture of the two species

See the full definition for interbreed in the English Language Learners Dictionary

interbreed

in·ter·breed | \ ˌint-ər-ˈbrēd

\

interbred\ -ˈbred

\; interbreeding

Medical Definition of interbreed

intransitive verb

: to breed together: as

b : to breed within a closed population

transitive verb

: to cause to breed together

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