Breed Breed transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bred ; present participle & verbal noun Breeding .] [ Middle English breden , Anglo-Saxon brēdan to nourish, cherish, keep warm, from brōd brood; akin to Dutch broeden to brood, Old High German bruoten , German brüten . See Brood .] 1. To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch.

Yet every mother breeds not sons alike.
Shak.

If the sun breed maggots in a dead dog.
Shak.

2. To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster.

To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed .
Dryden.

Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness.
Everett.

3. To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; -- sometimes followed by up .

But no care was taken to breed him a Protestant.
Bp. Burnet.

His farm may not remove his children too far from him, or the trade he breeds them up in.
Locke.

4. To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease.

Lest the place
And my quaint habits breed astonishment.
Milton.

5. To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men.

6. To raise, as any kind of stock.

7. To produce or obtain by any natural process. [ Obsolete]

Children would breed their teeth with less danger.
Locke.

Syn. -- To engender; generate; beget; produce; hatch; originate; bring up; nourish; train; instruct.

Breed Breed intransitive verb 1. To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant.

That they breed abundantly in the earth.
Gen. viii. 17.

The mother had never bred before.
Carpenter.

Ant . Is your gold and silver ewes and rams?
Shy . I can not tell. I make it breed as fast.
Shak.

2. To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth.

3. To have birth; to be produced or multiplied.

Heavens rain grace
On that which breeds between them.
Shak.

4. To raise a breed; to get progeny.

The kind of animal which you wish to breed from.
Gardner.

To breed in and in , to breed from animals of the same stock that are closely related.

Breed Breed noun 1. A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance.

Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed .
Shak.

Greyhounds of the best breed .
Carpenter.

2. Class; sort; kind; -- of men, things, or qualities.

Are these the breed of wits so wondered at?
Shak.

This courtesy is not of the right breed .
Shak.

3. A number produced at once; a brood. [ Obsolete]

» Breed is usually applied to domestic animals; species or variety to wild animals and to plants; and race to men.

Breedbate Breed"bate noun One who breeds or originates quarrels. [ Obsolete] "No telltale nor no breedbate ." Shak.

Breeder Breed"er noun 1. One who, or that which, breeds, produces, brings up, etc.

She was a great breeder .
Dr. A. Carlyle.

Italy and Rome have been the best breeders of worthy men.
Ascham.

2. A cause. "The breeder of my sorrow." Shak.

Breeding Breed"ing noun 1. The act or process of generating or bearing.

2. The raising or improving of any kind of domestic animals; as, farmers should pay attention to breeding .

3. Nurture; education; formation of manners.

She had her breeding at my father's charge.
Shak.

4. Deportment or behavior in the external offices and decorums of social life; manners; knowledge of, or training in, the ceremonies, or polite observances of society.

Delicacy of breeding , or that polite deference and respect which civility obliges us either to express or counterfeit towards the persons with whom we converse.
Hume.

5. Descent; pedigree; extraction. [ Obsolete]

Honest gentlemen, I know not your breeding .
Shak.

Close breeding , In and in breeding , breeding from a male and female from the same parentage. -- Cross breeding , breeding from a male and female of different lineage. -- Good breeding , politeness; genteel deportment.

Syn. -- Education; instruction; nurture; training; manners. See Education .

Breeze Breeze noun [ French brise ; akin to Italian brezza breeze, Spanish briza , brisa , a breeze from northeast, Portuguese briza northeast wind; of uncertain origin; confer French bise , Pr. bisa , Old High German bisa , north wind, Arm. biz northeast wind.] 1. A light, gentle wind; a fresh, soft-blowing wind.

Into a gradual calm the breezes sink.
Wordsworth.

2. An excited or ruffed state of feeling; a flurry of excitement; a disturbance; a quarrel; as, the discovery produced a breeze . [ Colloq.]

Land breeze , a wind blowing from the land, generally at night. -- Sea breeze , a breeze or wind blowing, generally in the daytime, from the sea.

Breeze Breeze noun [ French braise cinders, live coals. See Brasier .] 1. Refuse left in the process of making coke or burning charcoal.

2. (Brickmaking) Refuse coal, coal ashes, and cinders, used in the burning of bricks.

Breeze Breeze intransitive verb To blow gently. [ R.] J. Barlow.

To breeze up (Nautical) , to blow with increasing freshness.

Breeze, Breeze fly Breeze, Breeze" fly` noun [ Middle English brese , Anglo-Saxon briósa ; perhaps akin to Old High German brimissa , German breme , bremse , Dutch brems , which are akin to German brummen to growl, buzz, grumble, Latin fremere to murmur; confer German brausen , Swedish brusa , Danish bruse , to roar, rush.] (Zoology) A fly of various species, of the family Tabanidć , noted for buzzing about animals, and tormenting them by sucking their blood; -- called also horsefly , and gadfly . They are among the largest of two-winged or dipterous insects. The name is also given to different species of botflies. [ Written also breese and brize .]

Breezeless Breeze"less adjective Motionless; destitute of breezes.

A stagnant, breezeless air becalms my soul.
Shenstone.

Breeziness Breez"iˇness noun State of being breezy.

Breezy Breez"y adjective 1. Characterized by, or having, breezes; airy. "A breezy day in May." Coleridge.

'Mid lawns and shades by breezy rivulets fanned.
Wordsworth.

2. Fresh; brisk; full of life. [ Colloq.]

Bregma Breg"ma noun [ Greek ... the front part of the head: confer French bregma .] (Anat.) The point of junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures of the skull.

Bregmatic Bregˇmat"ic adjective (Anat.) Pertaining to the bregma.

Brehon Bre"hon noun [ Ir. breitheamh judge.] An ancient Irish or Scotch judge.

Brehon laws , the ancient Irish laws, -- unwritten, like the common law of England. They were abolished by statute of Edward III.

Brelan Breˇlan" noun [ French] (Card Playing) (a) A French gambling game somewhat like poker. (b) In French games, a pair royal, or triplet.

Brelan carre Breˇlan" car`re" [ French carré square.] (Card Playing) In French games, a double pair royal.

Brelan favori Breˇlan" fa`vo`ri" [ French favori favorite.] (Card Playing) In French games, a pair royal composed of 2 cards in the hand and the card turned.

Breloque Breˇloque" noun [ French] A seal or charm for a watch chain. "His chains and breloques ." Thackeray.

Breme Breme (brēm) adjective [ Middle English breme , brime , fierce, impetuous, glorious, Anglo-Saxon brēme , brȳme , famous. Confer Brim , adjective ] 1. Fierce; sharp; severe; cruel. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

From the septentrion cold, in the breme freezing air.
Drayton.

2. Famous; renowned; well known. Wright.

[ Written also brim and brimme .]

Bren Bren noun Bran. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Bren, Brenne Bren, Bren"ne transitive verb & i. [ imperfect & past participle Brent ; present participle & verbal noun Brenning .] [ See Burn .] To burn. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Consuming fire brent his shearing house or stall.
W. Browne.

Brennage Bren"nage noun [ Old French brenage ; confer Late Latin brennagium , brenagium . See Bran .] (Old Eng. Law) A tribute which tenants paid to their lord, in lieu of bran, which they were obliged to furnish for his hounds.

Brenningly Bren"ningˇly adverb Burningly; ardently. [ Obsolete]

Brent Brent imperfect & past participle of Bren . Burnt. [ Obsolete]

Brent Brent noun [ Confer Brant .] A brant. See Brant .

Brent, Brant Brent, Brant adjective [ Anglo-Saxon brant ; akin to Danish brat , Icelandic brattr , steep.] 1. Steep; high. [ Obsolete]

Grapes grow on the brant rocks so wonderfully that ye will marvel how any man dare climb up to them.
Ascham.

2. Smooth; unwrinkled. [ Scot.]

Your bonnie brow was brent .
Burns.

Brequet chain Breq"uet chain` A watch-guard.

Brere Brere noun A brier. [ Archaic] Chaucer.

Brest Brest 3d sing.pr. for Bursteth . [ Obsolete]

Brest, Breast Brest, Breast noun (Architecture) A torus. [ Obsolete]

Breste Bres"te transitive verb & i. [ imperfect Brast ; past participle Brusten , Borsten , Bursten .] To burst. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Brestsummer Brest"sum`mer noun See Breastsummer .

Bret Bret noun (Zoology) See Birt .

Bretful Bret"ful adjective [ Middle English also brerdful , from brerd top, brim, Anglo-Saxon brerd .] Brimful. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Brethren Breth"ren noun ; plural of Brother .

» This form of the plural is used, for the most part, in solemn address, and in speaking of religious sects or fraternities, or their members.

Breton Bret"on adjective [ French breton .] Of or relating to Brittany, or Bretagne, in France. -- noun A native or inhabitant of Brittany, or Bretagne, in France; also, the ancient language of Brittany; Armorican.

Brett Brett noun Same as Britzska .

Brettice Bret"tice noun ; plural Brettices [ Middle English bretasce , bretage , parapet, Old French bretesche wooden tower, French bretčche , Late Latin breteschia , bertresca , probably from Old High German bret , German brett board; akin to English board . See Board , noun , and confer Bartizan .] The wooden boarding used in supporting the roofs and walls of coal mines. See Brattice .

Bretwalda Bret"walˇda noun [ Anglo-Saxon Bretwalda , br...ten walda , a powerful ruler.] (Eng. Hist.) The official title applied to that one of the Anglo-Saxon chieftains who was chosen by the other chiefs to lead them in their warfare against the British tribes. Brande & C.

Bretzel Bret"zel noun [ G.] See Pretzel .

Breve Breve (brēv) noun [ Italian & (in sense 2) Late Latin breve , from Latin brevis short. See Brief .] 1. (Mus.) A note or character of time, equivalent to two semibreves or four minims. When dotted, it is equal to three semibreves. It was formerly of a square figure (as thus: ... ), but is now made oval, with a line perpendicular to the staff on each of its sides; -- formerly much used for choir service. Moore.

2. (Law) Any writ or precept under seal, issued out of any court.

3. (Print.) A curved mark [ ˘] used commonly to indicate the short quantity of a vowel.

4. (Zoology) The great ant thrush of Sumatra ( Pitta gigas ), which has a very short tail.

Brevet Breˇvet" (bre*vĕt"; 277) noun [ French brevet , Late Latin brevetum , from Latin brevis short. See Brief .] 1. A warrant from the government, granting a privilege, title, or dignity. [ French usage].

2. (Mil.) A commission giving an officer higher rank than that for which he receives pay; an honorary promotion of an officer.

» In the United States army, rank by brevet is conferred, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for "gallant actions or meritorious services." A brevet rank gives no right of command in the particular corps to which the officer brevetted belongs, and can be exercised only by special assignment of the President, or on court martial, and detachments composed of different corps, with pay of the brevet rank when on such duty.

Brevet Breˇvet" (bre*vĕt") transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Brevetted ; present participle & verbal noun Brevetting .] (Mil.) To confer rank upon by brevet.

Brevet Breˇvet" adjective (Mil.) Taking or conferring rank by brevet; as, a brevet colonel; a brevet commission.

Brevetcy Breˇvet"cy (bre*vĕt"sȳ) noun ; plural Brevetcies (- sĭz). (Mil.) The rank or condition of a brevet officer.

Breviary Bre"viˇaˇry noun ; plural Breviaries [ French bréviarie , Latin breviarium summary, abridgment, neut. noun from breviarius abridged, from brevis short. See Brief , and confer Brevier .] 1. An abridgment; a compend; an epitome; a brief account or summary.

A book entitled the abridgment or breviary of those roots that are to be cut up or gathered.
Holland.

2. A book containing the daily public or canonical prayers of the Roman Catholic or of the Greek Church for the seven canonical hours, namely, matins and lauds, the first, third, sixth, and ninth hours, vespers, and compline; -- distinguished from the missal .

Breviate Bre"viˇate noun [ Latin breviatus , past participle of breviare to shorten, brevis short.] 1. A short compend; a summary; a brief statement.

I omit in this breviate to rehearse.
Hakluyt.

The same little breviates of infidelity have . . . been published and dispersed with great activity.
Bp. Porteus.

2. A lawyer's brief. [ R.] Hudibras.

Breviate Bre"viˇate transitive verb To abbreviate. [ Obsolete]

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