breed

About 5.81 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To produce offspring sexually; to bear young.
2. verb To give birth to; to be the native place of.

   A pond breeds fish.

3. verb To mate.
4. verb To keep (animals) and have (them) reproduce in a way that improves the next generation's qualities.
5. verb To arrange the mating of (specific animals).

   She wanted to breed her cow to the neighbor's registered bull.

6. verb To propagate or grow (plants) in an effort to give (them) certain qualities.

   He tries to breed blue roses.

7. verb To take care of in infancy and through childhood; to bring up.

   born and bred

8. verb To yield or result in.

   disaster breeds famine

Similar words

engender spawn cover variety strain multiply half-breed stock reproducing reproductive

Often followed by

of in and is a was the from with

Word family

bred breeding breeds