selective breeding
noun
: the process of modifying the characteristics of living things especially to enhance one or more desirable traits by selection in breeding controlled by humans
After about three years of selective breeding, their company, Cavendish Game Birds, was able to deliver quail that consistently dressed out to seven or eight ounces.—
Warren Schultz
Warren SchultzSelective breeding continues in an attempt to enhance the human use of this economic plant against a background of disappointingly low rubber content …—John M. Miller and Ralph A. Backhaus
John M. Miller and Ralph A. BackhausFixed through selective breeding, traits could vanish over several generations if people became careless in choosing their dogs' mates.—Mark Derr
Mark Derrcalled also artificial selection
Examples of selective breeding in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cannabis plant has evolved significantly due to selective breeding, and pure indica or sativa landraces are now extremely rare.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2024
The official website states farm animals face significant abuses, including severe confinement; painful mutilations without anesthesia; and selective breeding for excessive production that harms their well-being.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The selective breeding that created these exaggerated features has led to higher incidences of skin infections due to excessive folds and even spinal deformities.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
However, these noises often signal breathing struggles, which are indicative of serious health and welfare issues stemming from selective breeding.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
The poultry industry has made turkeys so big primarily through selective breeding.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 26 Nov. 2024
There isn’t a ton known about why small dogs live longer, though a 2023 study published in the American Naturalist found larger species of dogs may be more susceptible to cancer because of selective breeding practices.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Within just 15 generations of selective breeding, the experiment had yielded foxes that could live with people.
—Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
But decades of selective breeding—crossing only the largest plants—has created colossal varieties.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024
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Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 17 Dec. 2024
The official website states farm animals face significant abuses, including severe confinement; painful mutilations without anesthesia; and selective breeding for excessive production that harms their well-being.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
The selective breeding that created these exaggerated features has led to higher incidences of skin infections due to excessive folds and even spinal deformities.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
However, these noises often signal breathing struggles, which are indicative of serious health and welfare issues stemming from selective breeding.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
The poultry industry has made turkeys so big primarily through selective breeding.
—Kenny Torrella, Vox, 26 Nov. 2024
There isn’t a ton known about why small dogs live longer, though a 2023 study published in the American Naturalist found larger species of dogs may be more susceptible to cancer because of selective breeding practices.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Within just 15 generations of selective breeding, the experiment had yielded foxes that could live with people.
—Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 24 Oct. 2024
But decades of selective breeding—crossing only the largest plants—has created colossal varieties.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near selective breeding
Cite this Entry
“Selective breeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/selective%20breeding. Accessed 31 Dec. 2024.
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