Have you ever got stuck on the correct past tense of the irregular verb breed? This article will explain the conjugations of the word breed and also define breed and give you all the information you need about the word.

What Is the Definition of the Word Breed?

The word breed is defined as:

Intransitive verb

to produce offspring by sexual union
- places where mosquitoes breed
Copulate, mate
to propagate animals or plants

Transitive verb

to produce (offspring) by hatching or gestation
- yet every mother breeds not sons alike — Shakespeare
beget
- He bred a daughter.
Produce, engender
- despair often breeds violence
biology: to propagate (plants or animals) sexually and usually under controlled conditions
- bred several strains of corn together to produce a superior variety
Bring up, nurture
- We were born and bred in the country.
to inculcate by training
- breed good manners into one’s children
mate
- the business of breeding cattle
- a horse that is bred to a donkey
to mate with
impregnate
- delivered her kittens 63 days after being bred
physics: to produce (a fissionable element) by bombarding a nonfissionable element with neutrons from a radioactive element

Noun

biology: a group of usually domesticated animals or plants presumably related by descent from common ancestors and visibly similar in most characters
- exotic breeds of cats
- retrievers and other popular dog breeds
a number of persons of the same stock
Class, kind
- a new breed of athlete
- such people are a dying breed
- a purebred dog

What Is the Past Tense of Breed?

The past tense of breed is breed. This would be used in a sentence like:

How Do You Conjugate Breed?

Here are some conjugations of the English verb breed including the past tense:

Infinitive: To breed

Past Participle of Breed: Bred

Present Participle: Breeding

Present Tense	Simple Past Tense	Future Tense
I breed	bread	Am breeding
You breed	bread	Are breeding
He/she/it breeds	bread	Is breeding
We breed	bread	Are breeding
They breed	bread	Are breeding

The History and Origin of the Word

It has been used since before the 12th century in the same way we use it now as a veb. The word origin is from Old English “bredan” which meant to breed which was similar to “brod” which meant brood in the English language.

Synonyms of Breed From a Thesaurus

Multiply
Procreate
Progate
Reproduce
Class
Description
Feather
Genre
Ilk
Kidney
kind
Like
Manner
Nature
Order
Sort
Species
Strain
Stripe
Type
Variety

Examples of the Word in Context

For a decade and a half, the zoo has been trying to get Mei and Tian Tian to breed naturally. — Robin Wright, The New Yorker, “The Miracle of Breeding a Panda Cub During a Pandemic,” 22 Aug. 2020
Signs said to look for areas around a home that could allow for house mosquitoes to breed. — Chanel Stitt, Detroit Free Press, “Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Michigan; here’s how to prevent infection,” 21 Aug. 2020
Emperor penguins need stable sea ice, usually attached to land, for nine months of the year to breed successfully. — Damian Carrington, Wired, “A Satellite Spots 11 New Emperor Penguin Colonies,” 8 Aug. 2020
Perhaps the most fascinating achievement in their research has been the team’s work to breed naturally black cotton, which would replace black dyes. — Shelby Stewart, Houston Chronicle, “Scientists are growing colored cotton, the latest in sustainability fashion,” 3 Aug. 2020
The deadliest events took place during spring, when seals and sea lions typically gather together in large numbers to breed. — Popular Science, “Mass die-offs in marine mammals are accelerating, and climate change will only make it worse,” 22 June 2020
At the same time, with many universities scaling back employees on campus, the coronavirus crisis forced labs studying a broad range of topics to cull their research animals, many of which took years to breed and can take equally long to recoup. — Smithsonian Magazine, “Building a Mouse Squad Against COVID-19,” 21 May 2020
Seeds started from hybrid plants may not breed true — that is, some offspring will be different from the parent. — Jodi Bay, San Diego Union-Tribune, “Garden Mastery: How to save seeds to re-create next season’s vegetables,” 17 Aug. 2020
It’s not anti-bias training one time, Frye said, but it’s a host of long-term policies that target resources into the areas that breed disparities. — Chabeli Carrazana, USA TODAY, “When systemic racism meets the coronavirus, Black women suffer economically,” 14 Aug. 2020
The highland wild dogs had a 70% genetic overlap with the captive population, Ostrander said, with the difference likely containing some of the original diversity now missing in the inbred population — a breed largely created by people. — Katie Hunt, CNN, “Rare ‘singing’ dog, thought to be extinct in wild for 50 years, still thrives,” 31 Aug. 2020
When a certain breed of New Yorker dies, specialists are summoned: attorneys, accountants, appraisers, auctioneers, and, sometimes, Alan Bloom. — Susan Mulcahy, The New Yorker, “The Broom-Sweep Cleaning Out New York Estates,” 31 Aug. 2020
Some species like mallards get back to the prairie early as possible and (breed), while others like gadwall or blue-winged teal arrive up to a month later. — Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, “Why Don’t We Hunt Ducks in the Spring?,” 28 Aug. 2020
Pomeranians are considered a luxury breed, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. — Claudia Harmata, PEOPLE.com, “Customs Authorities Intercept 8 Pomeranian Puppies Smuggled Into United States from Russia,” 26 Aug. 2020
The breed does not matter; a small poodle can bite, too. — Traci Howerton, NOLA.com, “Training a new pet doesn’t have to be tough – just give it enough time to get settle in,” 26 Aug. 2020
As of 1990 in Florida, no longer can Florida governments outright ban dogs by a specific breed, though homeowner associations still may. — Eileen Kelley, sun-sentinel.com, “Pit bull is euthanized after mauling face of 11-year-old boy,” 24 Aug. 2020
And Ollie will deliver human-grade meat, fruit, vegetables and superfood to your door based on your pet’s age, breed, activity level, allergies and ideal weight. — oregonlive, “Explore 10 ‘purr-fect’ cat patios from your home: See the 8th Annual Catio Tour virtually,” 21 Aug. 2020
Although the evidence for the efficacy of vaccines is overwhelming, any missteps on this subject breed mistrust. — Porismita Borah, The Conversation, “Here’s how to talk to vaccine skeptics so they might actually hear you,” 20 Aug. 2020

Summary

Next time you need to write the word breed, you will be well prepared for everything you need to know what it is and how to use it efficiently. If you are trying to learn English, you should feel confident with the different conjugations, the history of the word, and the definition for both American English and British English.

Sources:

Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

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The Past Tense of Breed: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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