If someone says that a person has breeding, they mean that they think the person is from a good social background and has good manners.
It's a sign of good breeding to know the names of all your staff.
...men of low birth and no breeding.
Synonyms: refinement, style, culture, taste More Synonyms of breeding
2. See also breed
More Synonyms of breeding
breeding in British English
(ˈbriːdɪŋ)
noun
1.
the process of bearing offspring; reproduction
2.
the process of producing plants or animals by sexual reproduction
3.
the result of good training, esp the knowledge of correct social behaviour; refinement
a man of breeding
4.
a person's line of descent
5. physics
a process occurring in a nuclear reactor as a result of which more fissionable material is produced than is used up
breeding in American English
(bridɪŋ)
noun
1.
the producing of young
2.
the rearing of young; upbringing, education, or training, esp. in manners or social behavior
3.
good upbringing or training
tolerance is a sign of breeding
4.
the producing of plants and animals, esp. for the purpose of developing new or better types
Word origin
see breed
Examples of 'breeding' in a sentence
breeding
Which, as we know, is always a good breeding ground for the more sophisticated sorts of crime!
Val McDermid THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)
The birds wander in search of areas where rain has fallen and are triggered into breeding condition when such an area is located.
Tony Juniper SPIX'S MACAW: THE RACE TO SAVE THE WORLD'S RAREST BIRD (2002)
With the larger and more intelligent parrots in particular, one of the main issues in captive breeding is compatibility.
Tony Juniper SPIX'S MACAW: THE RACE TO SAVE THE WORLD'S RAREST BIRD (2002)
Encouraged, she worked harder, thinking of her beautiful black breeding cattle waiting by their hot, dry trough.
Elizabeth Lowell BEAUTIFUL DREAMER (2002)
In other languages
breeding
British English: breeding NOUN
If someone says that a person has breeding, they mean that they think the person is from a good social background and has good manners.
It's a sign of good breeding to know the names of all your staff.
American English: breeding
Brazilian Portuguese: criação
Chinese: 教养
European Spanish: educación
French: éducation
German: Erziehung
Italian: educazione
Japanese: 教養
Korean: 교양
European Portuguese: criação
Latin American Spanish: educación
All related terms of 'breeding'
breed
A breed of a pet animal or farm animal is a particular type of it. For example , terriers are a breed of dog .
outbreed
to produce offspring through sexual relations outside a particular family or tribe
breeding pair
a male and female animal that produce offspring together
line breeding
selective inbreeding that produces individuals possessing one or more of the favourable characteristics of their common ancestor
pig breeding
the act or process of getting pigs to reproduce
breeding colony
A colony of birds, insects, or animals is a group of them that live together.
breeding ground
If you refer to a situation or place as a breeding ground for something bad such as crime , you mean that this thing can easily develop in that situation or place.
breeding season
the time of year during which animals breed
breeding stock
animals specifically kept to breed from
cattle breeding
the science or business of breeding and raising cattle
cross-breeding
the process of causing animals to mate with another species, or of causing plants to reproduce with another species
breeding plumage
See nuptial plumage
captive breeding
Captive breeding is the breeding of wild animals in places such as zoos, especially animals which have become rare in the wild.
selective breeding
the raising of animals with particular genetic traits through careful choice of parents
cross-breed
If one species of animal or plant cross-breeds with another, they reproduce , and new or different animals or plants are produced. You can also say that someone cross-breeds something such as an animal or plant.
ill-bred
If you say that someone is ill-bred , you mean that they have bad manners.
1 (noun)
Definition
the result of good upbringing or training
She lost her temper completely and the veneer of good breeding dropped from her.
Synonyms
refinement
a girl who possessed both dignity and refinement
style
She has not lost her grace and style.
culture
He was a well-travelled man of culture and breeding.
taste
She has very good taste in clothes.
manners
polish
She was enormously popular for her charm and polish.
grace
He moved with the grace of a trained dancer.
courtesy
He always treats everyone with the utmost courtesy.
elegance
Princess Grace's understated elegance
sophistication
delicacy
He played with a superb delicacy of touch.
cultivation
She was a woman of cultivation and scholarship.
politeness
She listened to him, but only out of politeness.
civility
Most people treat each other with at least some civility.
gentility
The old woman had an air of gentility about her.
graciousness
urbanity
He had all the charm and urbanity of the trained diplomat.
politesse
2 (noun)
Definition
the process of producing plants or animals by controlled methods of reproduction
There is potential for selective breeding for better yields.
Synonyms
rearing
raising
nurturing
3 (noun)
Definition
the process of bearing offspring
During the breeding season the birds come ashore.
Synonyms
reproduction
what doctors call `assisted human reproduction'
mating
busy sea lions preparing for mating
reproducing
multiplying
propagation
the successful propagation of a batch of new plants
procreation
4 (noun)
Synonyms
upbringing
Martin's upbringing shaped his whole life.
training
raising
development
rearing
nurture
The human organism learns partly by nature, partly by nurture.
reproduction
cultivation
ancestry
lineage
Additional synonyms
in the sense of civility
Definition
polite or courteous behaviour
Most people treat each other with at least some civility.
Synonyms
politeness,
consideration,
courtesy,
tact,
good manners,
graciousness,
cordiality,
affability,
amiability,
politesse,
complaisance,
courteousness
in the sense of courtesy
Definition
politeness
He always treats everyone with the utmost courtesy.