breeding

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The keeping of animals or plants in order to produce young or new types.

   The farm specializes in the breeding of racehorses.

2. 2
   noun

   Good manners and behaviour learned from one's upbringing.

   His polite, gentle manners showed his good breeding.

3. 3
   adj

   Used for or relating to producing young.

   The birds return to the same breeding ground every spring.

From Middle English bredyng, bredynge, from Old English *brēdende, from Proto-Germanic *brōdijandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *brōdijaną (“to brood; breed”), equivalent to breed + -ing.

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