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 Web
Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Basically that poor enforcement had bred serious disrespect for the law, or at least a misunderstanding of it.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The kit is the perfect holiday gift for pets and pet owners and offers extensive information on dog breed, genetic traits, health and DNA matches.
—Elsie Boskamp, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breed 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Typically breeding once a year, quokkas produce only one baby, a joey.
—Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Basically that poor enforcement had bred serious disrespect for the law, or at least a misunderstanding of it.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Several viewers have gone on to praise the breed in the comments section.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
The kit is the perfect holiday gift for pets and pet owners and offers extensive information on dog breed, genetic traits, health and DNA matches.
—Elsie Boskamp, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for breed
Dictionary Entries Near breed
Cite this Entry
“Breed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breed. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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