(~s, ~ing, bred)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ of a pet animal or farm animal is a particular type of it. For example, terriers are a ~ of dog.
...rare ~s of cattle...
Certain ~s are more dangerous than others.
N-COUNT
2.
If you ~ animals or plants, you keep them for the purpose of producing more animals or plants with particular qualities, in a controlled way.
He lived alone, ~ing horses and dogs...
These dogs are bred to fight.
VERB: V n, be V-ed to-inf
see also cross-~
~ing
There is potential for selective ~ing for better yields.
N-UNCOUNT
3.
When animals ~, they have babies.
Frogs will usually ~ in any convenient pond...
The area now attracts over 60 species of ~ing birds.
VERB: V, V-ing
~ing
During the ~ing season the birds come ashore.
N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
4.
If you say that something ~s bad feeling or bad behaviour, you mean that it causes bad feeling or bad behaviour to develop.
If they are unemployed it’s bound to ~ resentment...
Violence ~s violence.
= create
VERB: V n, V n
5.
You can refer to someone or something as one of a particular ~ of person or thing when you want to talk about what they are like.
Sue is one of the new ~ of British women squash players who are making a real impact...
The new ~ of walking holidays puts the emphasis on enjoyment, not endurance...
= strain
N-COUNT: usu sing, with supp
6.
see also ~ing , ill-bred , pure-bred , well-bred
7.
Someone who was born and bred in a place was born there and grew up there.
I was born and bred in the highlands...
PHRASE
8.
familiarity ~s contempt: see familiarity