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Added 9 October 2026

breeding

/ˈbɹiːdɪŋ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about breeding at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression.
The result of good upbringing (especially knowledge of correct social behavior).
a woman of breeding and refinement
Helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community.
they debated whether nature or nurture was more important

adjective

Producing offspring or set aside especially for producing offspring.
the breeding population

Origin

From Middle English breedyng, bredynge (“gestation, incubation, propagation, hatching; engineering, formation, development, growth”), equivalent to breed + -ing.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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