breed

breed1 [ brid ] (past tense and past participle bred [ bred ] ) verb **

1. ) intransitive if animals breed, they become the parents of young animals:

The birds have bred successfully for the past six years.

a ) HUMOROUS to have children

b ) breed like rabbits OFFENSIVE to have a lot of children

2. ) transitive to produce new plants or animals from existing ones, especially in order to produce plants or animals with particular qualities:

She breeds sheep.

attempts to breed a new disease-resistant type of corn

3. ) transitive to make negative feelings or situations develop:

Secrecy breeds distrust.

a ) sometimes used for saying that something good is achieved:

Success tends to breed success.

b ) be bred of something LITERARY to be the result of something

=> FAMILIARITY

breed

breed 2 [ brid ] noun count **

1. ) a particular type of animal that is different from others, but not so different that it is another SPECIES:

breed of: What breeds of dog are especially good with children?

2. ) a particular type of person or thing:

a rare/dying breed: His father was one of a dying breed a truly independent politician.

breed of: one of the new breed of Internet millionaires