# breeding

Pronunciation: US say "BREE-ding" /ˈbɹiːdɪŋ/; UK

## Noun

1. The production of new offspring by living things through sexual reproduction.
   - Simple: The producing of young when male and female animals or plants join.
   - _The breeding of livestock improved steadily as farmers learned more._
   - _Conservationists rely on captive breeding to rebuild wild populations._
4. The polished manners regarded as characteristic of the aristocracy and passed down through family.
   - Simple: Good manners that people think come from being born into a high-class family.
   - _His impeccable breeding was evident throughout the formal dinner._
   - _She carried herself with the quiet breeding of an old family._
5. The act of mating, or copulation, between animals of the same kind.
   - Simple: When male and female animals come together to produce young.
   - _Breeding among the herd peaked during the cooler months._
   - _The mare was brought to the stallion for breeding._
6. The act of insemination, accomplished either by natural mating or by artificial means.
   - Simple: Getting sperm into a female animal, either by mating or with special tools.
   - _Modern dairy operations rely heavily on artificial breeding._
   - _The breeding of the prize mare was scheduled for late spring._
7. The line of descent or pedigree from which a person or animal comes.
   - Simple: The family line that a person or animal comes from.
   - _The colt's breeding traced back to several champion racehorses._
   - _Buyers paid a premium for sheep of proven breeding._
8. The nurture and education through which a person's manners are formed.
   - Simple: The way a child is raised and taught how to behave.
   - _His breeding had instilled an instinctive courtesy toward strangers._
   - _She credited her breeding for her ease in awkward social moments._
9. The act of ejaculating inside the rectum during bareback anal sex. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Releasing semen inside a partner's rear during anal sex without a condom.
   - _He sought out partners who were open to breeding._
   - _The clinic counsels patients about the health risks of breeding._

## Verb

2. Present participle of breed. — present participle and gerund of breed
   - Simple: Present participle of breed. Use this form for an action happening right now.
   - _The zoo is breeding condors to release them into the wild._
   - _Farmers have been breeding cattle for hardiness for generations._

## Adjective

3. Of, relating to, or used for the production of offspring.
   - Simple: Used for or having to do with producing young animals.
   - _The aquarium set up a separate breeding tank for the seahorses._
   - _Wildlife officials monitored the breeding grounds throughout spring._

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 4–9** — From Middle English breedyng or bredynge, meaning gestation, incubation, propagation, hatching, and also formation, development, or growth. It is equivalent to breed plus the suffix -ing.
**Meanings 2–3** — From Middle English bredyng, from Old English *brēdende, from Proto-Germanic *brōdijandz, the present participle of *brōdijaną ('to brood; breed'). It is equivalent to breed plus the suffix -ing.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/breeding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).