Breed — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈbrēd/

Meaning & Definition of Breed

Breed (verb)

  1. to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation
  2. beget
  3. produce, engender

Breed (noun)

  1. a group of usually domesticated animals or plants presumably related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characters
  2. a number of persons of the same stock
  3. class, kind

Breed (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common

    "some people say that honest politicians are a rare breed"

    similar: class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, order, sort, species, strain, stripe, type, variety
    related: model, sample, specimen, bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite

Breed (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring forth offspring

    "rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated"

    similar: multiply, procreate, propagate, reproduce
    related: bear, beget, engender, gender, generate, get, have, mother, parent, produce, sire, hatch, spawn

  2. to bring to maturity through care and education

    "he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain"

    similar: bring up, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, rear
    related: father, mother, attend, care (for), cradle, cultivate, mind, minister (to), nurture, watch, discipline, educate, instruct, mentor, school, teach, train, tutor, edify, enlighten, indoctrinate, feed, provide (for), supply, advance, forward, further, promote, prepare, direct, guide, lead, shepherd, show
    near: abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mishandle, mistreat, ignore, neglect, harm, hurt, injure

  3. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment"

    similar: beget, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  4. to engage in sexual intercourse

    "cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night"

    similar: copulate, mate, sleep, do it, have sex
    related: fool around, fornicate

  5. to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set

    "parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes"

    similar: enroot, implant, inculcate, infix, inseminate, instill, plant, sow
    related: drive, hammer, pound, embed, entrench, fix, lodge, root, imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Breed

The most common words with a similar meaning to Breed:

class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, order, sort, species, strain, stripe, type, variety, multiply, procreate, propagate, reproduce, bring up, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, rear, beget, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate

Related Words for Breed

model, sample, specimen, bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite, bear, gender, get, have, mother, parent, sire, hatch, father, attend, care (for), cradle, cultivate, mind

Near Antonyms of Breed

abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mishandle, mistreat, ignore, neglect, harm, hurt, injure, impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check

Word Forms of Breed

Inflections: bred, breeding

Origin & Etymology of Breed

Middle English breden, from Old English brēdan; akin to Old English brōd brood

First known use: before 12th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Breed

Words & Phrases Containing Breed

breed to, half-breed, a breed apart, dying breed, rare breed

Frequently Asked Questions about Breed

What does "Breed" mean?

"Breed" means to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Breed"?

Other words for "Breed" include class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind and like. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Breed" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Breed"?

There are 161 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Breed". Common alternatives include class, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner and nature.

How do you use "Breed" in a sentence?

Examples of "Breed" in a sentence: "some people say that honest politicians are a rare breed"; "rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated"; "he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain".

Is "Breed" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Breed" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Breed" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Breed" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Breed"?

"Breed" is pronounced /ˈbrēd/.

What is the origin of the word "Breed"?

"Breed" comes from Middle English breden, from Old English brēdan; akin to Old English brōd brood. First known use: before 12th centuryt.