breed

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a special type

   Google represents a new breed of entrepreneurs

2. 2
   noun

   a special variety of domesticated animals within a species

   They experimented on a particular breed of white rats.

3. 3
   verb

   to have young animals or reproduce organisms

   Did you know that pandas rarely breed in captivity?

4. 4
   verb

   to cause animals to procreate

   They breed several species of endangered animals at the zoo.

5. 5
   verb

   to copulate, used especially of animals

   My two hamsters are breeding.

6. 6
   verb

   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.

7. 7
   verb

   To give birth to; to be the native place of.

   A pond breeds fish.

8. 8
   verb

   To arrange the mating of (specific animals).

   She wanted to breed her cow to the neighbor's registered bull.

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.