# brood

/ˈbɹud/ (US) · /bɹˈuːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/brood
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to worry or think moodily

verb · CEFR B2

to think a lot about something that makes you unhappy, worried, or angry.

For teachers: to dwell on a subject or emotion with morbid or moody persistence. Often used with the prepositions 'on', 'over', or 'about'.

- It is not healthy to brood over your mistakes for so long.
- After the promotion was denied, he spent the entire weekend brooding over the perceived injustice of the committee's decision.

Usage: Usually intransitive; typically followed by 'on', 'over', or 'about'.

### 2. to sit on eggs

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Can be used transitively or intransitively.

### 3. a group of young animals

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. a large family

noun · CEFR C1 · Humorous · Informal

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

For teachers: the children of one family; often used to describe a large group of offspring.

- 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.

### 5. mining waste

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 6. kept for breeding

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describes an animal kept specifically to produce young.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Attributive use only; placed before the noun.

## Examples

- The hen led her brood of chicks across the yard.
- The mother duck kept a watchful eye on her brood as they swam near the reeds.
- The old farmhouse was barely large enough to accommodate the widow and her entire brood of seven children, who seemed to occupy every corner of the small kitchen.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.