Breds

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Composed of specific varieties or strains, typically in relation to animals or plants, referring to those that have been selectively propagated for desired traits
2. Pertaining to individuals or types that have been raised in particular environments or conditions, often implying a lineage or familial background
3. Denoting organisms that have undergone controlled reproduction to produce distinct genetic characteristics or features either in agriculture or breeding programs

Etymology: "Breed" once meant something gentler than producing offspring. Its Old English ancestor, "brēdan," meant to cherish, nurture, or keep warm, as a hen sits on eggs to hatch them. It is related to "brood," which is why a clutch of chicks and a breeding line were once close kin in meaning. The sense of breeding animals and passing on lineage developed later, and the noun for a type of animal, as in a dog breed, is recorded only from the 1500s. The adjective in "well-bred" grew from the same idea of good stock, so to be bred is to be judged by the background that shaped you. The plural "breds" is a plain inflection of the noun and follows the same path.

Synonyms: offsprings, progenies, descendants, lineages, broods