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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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 28 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share