What does "breed" mean?
All animals or plants of the same species or subspecies.
Breed
/bɹiːd/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: All animals or plants of the same species or subspecies.
- Grammar: breed is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: strain, accrue, accumulate, advance.
- Useful contrasts: diminish, inhibit, neuter.
- Usage evidence: I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there.
How to use "breed"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "breed" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "breed" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "breed" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "breed" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "breed" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "strain" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "breed", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 All animals or plants of the same species or subspecies.
"a breed of tulip"
- 2 a special type wordnet
- 3 A race or lineage; offspring or issue.
"And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence."
- 4 a special variety of domesticated animals within a species wordnet
- 5 A group of people with shared characteristics. informal
"People who were taught classical Greek and Latin at school are a dying breed."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Ellipsis of half-breed. abbreviation, alt-of, derogatory, ellipsis
"[…] you stinking breed!" he answered through gritted teeth. John leaned down and placed the barrel of his six-gun hard against one of Dunlap's eyes."
Verb
- 1 To produce offspring sexually; to bear young.
"Plant breeding is always a numbers game.[…]The wild species we use are rich in genetic variation, and individual plants are highly heterozygous and do not breed true. In addition, we are looking for rare alleles, so the more plants we try, the better."
- 2 have young (animals) or reproduce (organisms) wordnet
- 3 To give birth to; to be the native place of. transitive
"A pond breeds fish."
- 4 cause to procreate (animals) wordnet
- 5 To mate.
Show 12 more definitions
- 6 copulate with a female, used especially of horses wordnet
- 7 To keep (animals) and have (them) reproduce in a way that improves the next generation's qualities. transitive
- 8 call forth wordnet
- 9 To arrange the mating of (specific animals). often, transitive
"She wanted to breed her cow to the neighbor's registered bull."
- 10 To propagate or grow (plants) in an effort to give (them) certain qualities.
"He tries to breed blue roses."
- 11 To take care of in infancy and through childhood; to bring up.
"born and bred"
- 12 To yield or result in.
"disaster breeds famine"
- 13 To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated or to grow, like young before birth. intransitive, obsolete
- 14 To educate; to instruct; to bring up. sometimes
"No care was taken to breed him a Protestant."
- 15 To produce or obtain by any natural process.
"Children would breed their teeth with much less danger."
- 16 To have birth; to be produced, developed, or multiplied. intransitive
"Fair encounter Of two most rare affections! Heavens rain grace On that which breed between 'em!"
- 17 To ejaculate inside (a person or a bodily orifice of same); to creampie. slang, transitive, vulgar
"2018, Cassandra Dee, Paying My Boyfriend's Debt: A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance, Cassandra Dee Romance via PublishDrive “God, I love your ass,” he says, his voice almost a growl. “I'm gonna breed this ass tonight.”"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A town and unincorporated community therein, in Oconto County, Wisconsin, United States, named after postmaster George M. Breed. countable, uncountable
Example
"I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "breed"?
Common synonyms include: strain, accrue, accumulate, advance, affiliation, ancestry.
How do you use "breed" in a sentence?
I always have to check my yard for stagnant pools of water so mosquitoes don't breed there.
How do you pronounce "breed"?
Pronounced /bɹiːd/.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English breden, from Old English brēdan, from Proto-Germanic *brōdijaną (“to brood”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁- (“warm”). Cognate with Scots brede, breid, Saterland Frisian briede, West Frisian briede, Low German bröden, Dutch broeden, German brüten.