cross-breed

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   To breed two different types of animal or plant together to produce young with mixed features.

   Grammar: Can take an object (cross-breed two dogs) or be used without one (the species cross-breeds naturally).

   Patterns

   • cross-breed something with something
   • cross-breed two things

   Farmers cross-breed wheat with wild grass to get stronger crops.

   These birds cross-breed easily in captivity.

   Scientists cross-bred the two fish species to study their genes.

2. 2nouncountable

   An animal or plant produced by breeding two different types or breeds.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a cross-breed, two cross-breeds.

   Patterns

   • a cross-breed of something and something
   • a cross-breed between something and something

   This dog is a cross-breed of a poodle and a Labrador.

   The farm sells cross-breeds that grow faster than pure breeds.

Word forms

Common combinations

cross-breed with

They cross-breed the roses with a hardier variety.

cross-breed a species

It is illegal to cross-breed some protected species.

a cross-breed dog

My cross-breed dog is healthier than my purebred one.

cross-breeding program

The zoo started a cross-breeding program for endangered cats.

Synonyms and how they differ

hybrid

Hybrid is more formal and often used for plants and scientific contexts; cross-breed is common for animals.

mongrel

Mongrel is an informal, sometimes disapproving word for a dog of mixed breed; cross-breed is neutral.

mixed-breed

Mixed-breed is an adjective describing an animal, not a verb; use it like 'a mixed-breed dog'.

Opposites

Word family

crossbreeding noun

The process of breeding different types together.

crossbred adjective

Describing an animal or plant produced by cross-breeding.

Commonly confused: cross-breed or crossbreed?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “cross-breed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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