breed (B1)
verb
Pronunciation: /briːd/
Definition
To produce offspring or young animals; to reproduce.
Examples
Many species of fish breed in freshwater rivers.
The rabbits breed quickly in warm weather.
Dogs are bred for specific purposes, like hunting or companionship.
How to Use breed
- breed animals (collocation)
- To mate animals with the intention of producing offspring. — "The rancher decided to breed his best horses."
- breed out (phrasal verb)
- To eliminate undesirable characteristics from a breed through selective breeding. — "Breed out the aggressive tendencies in this dog line."
- breed in (phrasal verb)
- To develop or establish a particular characteristic within a breed through selective breeding. — "They tried to breed in greater resistance to disease."
Synonyms of breed
Words with a similar meaning to breed:
Antonyms of breed
Words with the opposite meaning to breed:
Browse the full Anaversity dictionary