breeding Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression
gentility; genteelness.
noun the result of good upbringing (especially knowledge of correct social behavior)
training; education.
- a woman of breeding and refinement
noun helping someone grow up to be an accepted member of the community
fostering; upbringing; bringing up; rearing; nurture; fosterage; raising.
- they debated whether nature or nurture was more important
noun the production of animals or plants by inbreeding or hybridization
noun the sexual activity of conceiving and bearing offspring
procreation; reproduction; facts of life.
verb call forth
spawn; breed; engender.
verb copulate with a female, used especially of horses
breed; cover.
- The horse covers the mare
verb cause to procreate (animals)
breed.
- She breeds dogs
verb have young (animals) or reproduce (organisms)
multiply; breed.
- pandas rarely breed in captivity
- These bacteria reproduce
adjective satellite producing offspring or set aside especially for producing offspring
- the breeding population
- retained a few bulls for breeding purposes

The act or process of generating or bearing.
The raising or improving of any kind of domestic animals; as, farmers should pay attention to breeding.
Nurture; education; formation of manners.
She had her breeding at my father's charge. Shak.
Deportment or behavior in the external offices and decorums of social life; manners; knowledge of, or training in, the ceremonies, or polite observances of society.
Delicacy of breeding, or that polite deference and respect which civility obliges us either to express or counterfeit towards the persons with whom we converse. Hume.
Descent; pedigree; extraction. Obs.
Honest gentlemen, I know not your breeding. Shak.
Syn. -- Education; instruction; nurture; training; manners. See Education.