breeder

noun

breed·​er ˈbrē-dər How to pronounce breeder (audio)
: one that breeds: such as
a
: an animal or plant kept for propagation
b
: one engaged in the breeding of a specified organism
c
: a nuclear reactor designed to produce more fissionable material than it uses as fuel

called also breeder reactor

Examples of breeder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In several cases, the cloned dog’s appeal appeared to lie partly in physical problems or a difficult start in life: the dog found as a mangy stray or rescued from a kill shelter or a bad breeder; the needy dog or the purebred with a non-ideal characteristic. Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024 The World’s Ugliest Dog contest has been a highlight at the fair for almost 50 years and promotes adopting dogs from shelters, instead of breeders, especially senior dogs. Nhat V. Meyer, The Mercury News, 22 June 2024 Big walleyes of 20 inches or longer tend to be more effective breeders and more important for a waterbody’s walleye population overall. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 13 June 2024 Queen Elizabeth owned dozens of horses throughout her lifetime and was an avid breeder and rider, seen in the saddle well into her 90s. Audrey Schmidt, Peoplemag, 2 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for breeder 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breeder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breeder was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near breeder

Cite this Entry

“Breeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breeder. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Medical Definition

breeder

noun
breed·​er
: one that breeds: as
a
: an animal or plant kept for propagation
b
: one engaged in the breeding of a specified organism

More from Merriam-Webster on breeder

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