Broodmares

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of female horses that are specifically bred for the purpose of producing offspring for sale or competition
2. Referring to the female equines used primarily in breeding programs to maintain or improve stock quality
3. Designating mares that have been selected to produce foals, particularly in a thoroughbred or performance horse context

Etymology: "Broodmares" is simply the plural of "broodmare," so it is the form that refers to more than one female horse kept for breeding. The singular "broodmare" is the word that carries the history: "brood" is an older English word for a brood or hatch of young, and "mare" is the female horse, so a broodmare is literally a mare kept for producing a brood of foals.

Synonyms: breeding mares, female horses