breed
breed — verb
1. when animals breed, a male and female join and later have babies.
when animals breed, a male and female join and later have babies.
Wild rabbits breed quickly when spring weather stays warm and dry.
animals breed + adverb
On the island, sea turtles breed near the beach each summer.
breed near + place
The foxes do not breed during the coldest months of the year.
After heavy rain, frogs breed in shallow water by the road.
文法句型
[animal] + breeds
breed in/near + place
breed during + season
用法筆記
Used mainly for animals in ordinary English. Distinguish from sense 2, which is broader and can also describe plants, insects, or bacteria in biology contexts.
常見錯誤
2. when plants, insects, or other living things breed, they produce more of the sam
when plants, insects, or other living things breed, they produce more of the same kind.
Bacteria breed fast in warm milk left on the table.
subject can be bacteria
These pond plants breed only after spring floods fill the ditches.
subject can be plants
In the lab, fruit flies breed every ten days in glass jars.
Without natural enemies, the insects breed until leaves disappear.
文法句型
[organism] + breeds
breed in + conditions
breed after + event
用法筆記
Common in biology or science writing. Distinguish from sense 1 by its wider range of subjects: it can describe plants or very small living things, not only mating animals.
常見錯誤
3. to raise animals or plants so they have young with qualities you want.
to raise animals or plants so they have young with qualities you want.
Leila breeds sheep for wool on a farm near Inverness.
breed + object + for purpose
These roses were bred from two hardy plants at the Kyoto nursery.
passive: be bred from
For ten years, Yusuf has bred guide dogs for blind children.
At the Chengdu center, only a few pandas breed well in captivity.
The family breeds chickens behind the house and sells the eggs.
- raise
broader; focuses on keeping and caring for animals, not necessarily controlled reproduction
- rear
close in meaning but slightly more formal, especially for young animals
- grow
the usual word for plants when reproduction is not the main point
- crossbreed
more specific; combines two different lines or varieties
文法句型
breed animals/plants
breed something for + purpose
be bred from + parent stock
用法筆記
Often takes a direct object naming the animal or plant. Add 'for' to show the goal and 'from' to name the parent stock used to produce the new line.
常見錯誤
4. to gradually create a feeling or condition, often an unwanted one.
to gradually create a feeling or condition, often an unwanted one.
Long waits at the clinic breed anger among tired patients.
breed + negative feeling
Private budget talks can breed distrust among nurses on the night shift.
breed distrust among + group
Years of unfair rules bred fear in the small village.
Jokes about bonuses can breed resentment in a small sales team.
Regular praise breeds confidence in young players during training.
文法句型
breed + feeling
breed + situation
用法筆記
Object is usually an abstract noun such as fear, distrust, resentment, or confidence. This sense is more common in writing than in casual spoken English.
常見錯誤
breed — noun
1. an established group of animals or plants with shared features.
an established group of animals or plants with shared features.
The farmer keeps two breeds of goats on the hillside.
breeds of + animal
At our park, poodles are a popular breed with first-time owners.
breed with + owner group
This tomato breed grows well in dry soil behind the school.
At the show, each dog breed had its own judge.
Some horse breeds carry heavy loads over mountain paths.
文法句型
a breed of + animal/plant
[animal] breed
用法筆記
Most often used for animals, especially dogs, horses, and cats, but it can also describe cultivated plants. It commonly follows another noun, as in 'dog breed' or 'horse breed'.
常見錯誤
2. a recognizable sort, especially of people or products, with its own style.
a recognizable sort, especially of people or products, with its own style.
Kai is a different breed of teacher, calm even on the first day.
breed of + person
That small cafe attracts a different breed of tourist.
The company built a new breed of battery for city buses.
Hospitals now need a new breed of manager who understands digital records.
The club wants a younger breed of leader for the next election.
文法句型
a breed of + person
a breed of + thing
用法筆記
Usually appears in the pattern 'a breed of + person/thing'. Unlike sense 1, this use is figurative and often suggests a noticeable style, attitude, or way of working.