hybrid

Pluralhybrids

1. 1
   adjective

   Of mixed origin, or made up of a mix of different elements.

   The menu offers hybrid dishes that blend Korean and Mexican cooking.

   Hybrid seedlings from the two species grew taller than either parent.

   Similarmixed, composite, crossbred, blended

   Oppositepure

2. 2
   nouncountable

   An offspring produced by crossing two different kinds of parent, such as two species or two purebred strains.

   The new rose is a hybrid of two old garden varieties.

   Hybrids between wolves and dogs can be difficult to keep as pets.

   Similarcrossbreed

   Oppositepurebred

   Note

   Latin hybrida named one very particular cross, the offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar, and the general biological sense grew from it. English had the word by 1601 but rarely used it before about 1850; in On the Origin of Species (1859) Charles Darwin writes of the hybrids or mongrels of domestic pigeons, still setting it beside the plainer word.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A vehicle, especially a car, that runs on both fuel, such as gasoline or diesel, and electricity from a battery or the sun.

   We traded in our old pickup for a hybrid and cut our fuel bill in half.

   Rental companies are adding hybrids to their fleets to meet emissions targets.

4. 4
   adjective

   Of a car, running on both fuel, such as gasoline or diesel, and electricity from a battery or the sun.

   The dealership sold more hybrid models than gas-only ones last year.

   She switched to a hybrid sedan to cut the cost of her long commute.

5. 5
   nouncountable

   A bicycle that combines features of road and mountain bikes.

   For a commute that mixes pavement and gravel trails, a hybrid is a sensible choice.

   Most hybrids have flat handlebars and tires a little wider than a road bike's.

   Note

   Flat handlebars and an upright riding position come from the mountain bike, lighter and faster-rolling wheels from the road bike. The result suits commuting, errands and easy paths rather than racing or rough trails, and it is the bike many shops point a casual rider toward.

6. 6
   nouncountable

   A golf club that combines features of an iron and a wood.

   From the rough, he reached for a hybrid instead of his long iron.

   Several touring pros now carry hybrids in place of their longest irons.

   Note

   Golfers carry it in place of a hard-to-hit long iron. The head is shaped somewhat like a small wood, with a wide sole that glides through grass, while the loft and length stay close to the iron it replaces, so the ball gets airborne more easily, even from the rough.

7. 7
   nouncountable

   A word formed from elements taken from different languages.

   Critics dismissed the new brand name as a clumsy hybrid of French and English.

   English has many hybrids that join a Greek prefix to a Latin root.

   Note

   Linguists use it for words like television, where a Greek element meaning "far" meets one built from Latin for "seeing". Sociology mixes the same two languages the other way around, joining a Latin root for "companion" to a Greek ending for a field of study.

8. 8
   adjective

   Combining 2D and 3D animation in the same work.

   The film's hybrid look sets hand-drawn characters against computer-modeled backgrounds.

   Hybrid productions let animators draw faces by hand while the camera glides through 3D sets.

   Note

   The two layers are made in entirely different ways: the 2D part is drawn frame by frame, by hand or in a drawing program, while the 3D part is built as computer models that can be lit and filmed from any angle. The word usually stands before a noun, as in hybrid animation or a hybrid film.

9. 9
   nouncountable

   A computer built partly as an analog computer and partly as a digital one.

   Engineers modeled the rocket's flight path on a hybrid in the basement lab.

   Hybrids were favored for simulations that needed both speed and precision.

   Note

   Each half of such a machine does what it does best: the analog side works through equations continuously and very fast, while the digital side supplies precise arithmetic, logic and storage, with converters passing values between them. Hybrid computer is the full name.

10. 10
    nouncountable

    An electronic circuit built from individual components bonded to a substrate or printed circuit board.

    The amplifier's output stage is a hybrid, with transistors and resistors bonded to a ceramic substrate.

    Hybrids remain common in equipment that must survive extreme heat and vibration.

    Note

    Electronics engineers place it between a board of loose parts and a single integrated chip: its components are made separately, then mounted and wired together on one small base, often ceramic. Thick-film and thin-film name two ways of laying down that wiring, and the full term is hybrid circuit.

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