brood

C1 · Advanced Technical

v. to sit on eggs to keep them warm until they hatch.

v. to incubate eggs by sitting upon them; by extension, to protect or foster something maturing.

“The mother hen will brood her eggs until the chicks are ready.”

“The female eagle remained on the nest to brood the clutch, protecting the developing embryos from the harsh mountain winds.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a group of young birds or other animals born at the same time to one mother.

n. a number of young produced or hatched at one birth or clutch, specifically in birds or social insects.

“A brood of ducklings followed their mother across the pond.”

“The beekeeper inspected the hive to ensure the health of the new brood before the winter months arrived.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Humorous · Informal

n. a person's children, especially if there are many of them.

n. the children of one family; often used to describe a large group of offspring.

Español:prole

“She took her whole brood to the beach for the afternoon.”

“The old farmhouse was barely large enough to accommodate his sister's entire brood during the holidays.”

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. heavy waste material found when digging for metals like tin or copper.

n. heavy waste or impurities found in tin and copper ores during the mining process.

“The miners had to separate the valuable copper from the brood.”

“Historical records from the Cornish mines indicate that large quantities of brood were often discarded near the pit heads.”

C1 · Advanced Technical

adj. describes an animal kept specifically to produce young.

adj. denoting an animal, especially a bird or horse, kept for the purpose of breeding.

“The farmer kept a few brood hens to ensure a supply of new chicks.”

“The estate was famous for its brood mares, which had produced several championship-winning racehorses over the decades.”