/huy"brid/ , n.
1. the offspring of two animals or plants of different breeds, varieties, species, or genera, esp. as produced through human manipulation for specific genetic characteristics.
2. a person or group of persons produced by the interaction or crossbreeding of two unlike cultures, traditions, etc.
3. anything derived from heterogeneous sources, or composed of elements of different or incongruous kinds: a hybrid of the academic and business worlds.
4. a word composed of elements originally drawn from different languages, as television, whose components come from Greek and Latin.
adj.
5. bred from two distinct races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera.
6. composite; formed or composed of heterogeneous elements.
7. composed of elements originally drawn from different languages, as a word.
[ 1595-1605; hybrida, hibrida a crossbred animal ]
Syn. 5. HYBRID, MONGREL refer to animals or plants of mixed origin. HYBRID is the scientific term: hybrid corn; a hybrid variety of sheep. MONGREL, used originally of dogs to denote the offspring of crossings of different breeds, is now extended to other animals and to plants; it is usually deprecatory, as denoting mixed, nondescript, or degenerate breed or character: a mongrel pup.
Ant. 5. purebred, thoroughbred.