interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌin-tər-ˈbrēd 

interbred ˌin-tər-ˈbred  ; interbreeding

intransitive verb

: to breed together: such as

a

: crossbreed

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

Breed histories generally point instead to local cats interbreeding with longhaired cats brought to the region by sailors or settlers. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026

Super Archaic Something else suggested by other data is that the Denisovan population had also undergone a separate episode of interbreeding, this with a far older lineage. — ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

Scholars think that during this larger migration modern humans likely encountered and interbred with Neanderthals in places such as modern-day Turkey. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

When the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy was opened in 2004, 18 descendants of these bongos were imported and have since interbred, bringing the conservancy’s population to 102 bongos. — ABC News, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for interbreed

• aniseed
• centipede
• cottonseed
• disagreed
• ganymede
• guaranteed
• intercede
• overspeed
• pedigreed
• refereed
• supercede
• supersede

Kids Definition

interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌint-ər-ˈbrēd 

interbred -ˈbred  ; interbreeding

: to breed or cause to breed together: as

a

: crossbreed

b

: to breed within a population

Medical Definition

interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌint-ər-ˈbrēd 

interbred -ˈbred  ; interbreeding

intransitive verb

: to breed together: as

a

: crossbreed

b

: to breed within a closed population

transitive verb

: to cause to breed together