breeding

noun

breed·​ing ˈbrē-diŋ 

1

: the action or process of bearing or generating

2

: ancestry

3

a

archaic : education

she had her breeding at my father's charge

—William Shakespeare

b

: training in or observance of the proprieties

4

: the sexual propagation of plants or animals

Synonyms

• ancestry
• birth
• blood
• bloodline
• descent
• extraction
• family tree
• genealogy
• line
• lineage
• origin
• parentage
• pedigree
• stock
• strain

Examples of breeding in a Sentence

She became involved in the breeding of sled dogs.

His politeness shows good breeding.

a person who lacks breeding

Recent Examples on the Web

This makes the Buckeye State one of 35 in the U.S. where feral swine have established breeding populations. —Steven Hill, Field & Stream, 26 June 2024

Photos show Addo curled up with his mother, Pele. Pele, 22, came to the zoo in 2022 as part of a breeding program in the Gorilla Species Survival Plan, according to an April 12 post by the zoo. —Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 19 June 2024

Doyle is assisting with the captive breeding program, which is being administered through a special work group dedicated to the creatures. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024

Elvers are the key to eel aquaculture farming, given the difficulty, as yet, of captive breeding and scalable hatcheries. —Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breeding

• breeding ground
• breeding season
• selective breeding

Kids Definition

breeding

noun

breed·​ing

1

: ancestry sense 1

2

: training especially in manners

3

: the producing and raising of plants or animals by sexual reproduction