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Definition of breed noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

breed

noun
 
 
/briːd/
 
/briːd/
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  1.  
    a particular type of animal that has been developed by people in a certain way, especially a type of dog, cat or farm animal
    • Labradors and other large breeds of dog
    • a breed of cattle/sheep
    see also rare breed (1)
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    • This breed is used for both milk and meat production.
    • Three years later the breed was officially recognized.
    • one of the most popular breeds of cat
    Topics Animalsc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • new
    • rare
    • hardy
    • …
    verb + breed
    • keep
    • use
    • recognize
    • …
    preposition
    • breed of
    See full entry
  2. [usually singular] a type of person
    • He represents a new breed of politician.
    • Health workers are a breed apart (= different and special) in their commitment and dedication to duty.
    see also rare breed (2)
    Extra Examples
    • a different and more dangerous breed of international criminals
    • It takes a special breed of person to be a police officer.
    • Today's breed of entrepreneurs are hugely and ruthlessly ambitious.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • new
    • dying
    • rare
    • …
    preposition
    • breed of
    phrases
    • a breed apart
    See full entry
    3. Word OriginOld English brēdan ‘produce (offspring), bear (a child)’, of Germanic origin; related to German brüten, also to brood.
See breed in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee breed in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: breed

Nearby words

pepper
noun
 
 
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