breeder
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person who raises animals or plants to produce new ones with specific qualities.
a person who practices the controlled propagation of animals or plants, typically to maintain or improve specific genetic traits.
Simple“The dog breeder showed us the puppies and their mother.”
In context“The award-winning rose breeder spent decades cross-pollinating different varieties to achieve that specific shade of deep violet.”
- 02 C2 Proficiency
a rude way to describe a person who has children or is very focused on their kids.
a derogatory term for a parent, typically used to imply that their life is entirely consumed by child-rearing.
Simple“The restaurant was crowded with breeders and their noisy toddlers.”
In context“The online forum was notorious for its hostile attitude toward parents, frequently referring to them as breeders.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly informal and usually intended to be insulting to parents.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
a type of nuclear reactor that makes more fuel than it uses.
a nuclear reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes, typically by converting fertile isotopes into fissile ones.
Simple“The government invested in a new breeder to improve energy efficiency.”
In context“The experimental breeder was designed to utilize uranium-238 more effectively than conventional light-water reactors.”
Synonymsbreeder reactor
“The teams have developed two open-access tools for scientists and plant breeders.”
From breed + -er. Cognate with West Frisian brieder (“one who breeds, breeder”), Dutch broeier (“brooder, vagrant”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.