breed

Syllabification: (breed)

Pronunciation: /brēd/

Definition of breed

[with object]

cause (an animal) to produce offspring, typically in a controlled and organized way:he wants to see the animals his new stock has been bred from
[no object] (of animals) mate and then produce offspring:toads are said to return to the pond of their birth to breed (as adjective breeding)the breeding season
develop (a kind of animal or plant) for a particular purpose or quality:these horses are bred for this sport
rear and train (someone) to behave in a particular way or have certain qualities:Theresa had been beautifully bred
cause (something) to happen or occur, typically over a period of time:success breeds confidence
Physics create (fissile material) by nuclear reaction.

a stock of animals or plants within a species having a distinctive appearance and typically having been developed by deliberate selection.
a sort or kind of person or thing:a new breed of entrepreneurs was brought into being

Phrases

a breed apart: a sort or kind or person that is very different from the norm:Japanese capitalism is a breed apart from that found in the US
a dying breed: a sort or kind of person that is slowly disappearing:the country’s dying breed of elder statesmen
what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh (or blood): see bone.

Old English brēdan 'produce (offspring), bear (a child)', of Germanic origin; related to German brüten, also to brood

Definition of breed in the British & World English dictionary