interbreed

I1N1T1E1R1B3R1E1E1D2
/ɪnteɹˈbɹid/

verb

To breed or reproduce within an isolated community.

UncommonScrabble 13

Meanings

verbinterbreed (third-person singular simple present interbreeds, present participle interbreeding, simple past and past participle interbred)

present singular third person interbreeds · participle present interbreeding · participle past interbred · past interbred

  1. To breed or reproduce within an isolated community.
  2. ambitransitiveTo breed or reproduce within a heterogenous community, the products of which produce hybrids.

    In the wild, deer mice and oldfield mice never interbreed.

    2017 April 19, Carl Zimmer, “Why Are Some Mice (and People) Monogamous? A Study Points to Genes”, in The New York Times
    3 more examples

    The rypes and our red grouse are identically the same bird, though disease has never been known in the former, and even interbreeding with the red grouse, to the limited extent they are ever likely to do, should do more good than harm.

    1909, Knowledge and Illustrated Scientific News, volume 32, page 426

    The city's two-inch Environmental Review Technical Manual instructs regulators to consider adverse environmental impacts on "any subspecies" or "any distinct population segment . . . which interbreeds when mature."

    2001 April 13, John Tierney, “The Big City; Stray Dogs As a Litigant's Best Friend”, in The New York Times

    The rock dove has so interbred with the feral pigeons from doocots and racing pigeon lofts that, as a pure species, it may possibly now be extinct in Britain.

    2009 January 29, Ray Collier, “Country diary”, in The Guardian

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbreed animals or plants using parents of different races and varieties

Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁én
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁n̥tér
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥ter
  4. Latininter
  5. Latininter-
  6. Englishinter-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*bʰreh₁-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*bʰroh₁tús
  9. Proto-Germanic*brōduz
  10. Proto-Germanic*brōdijaną
  11. Proto-West Germanic*brōdijan
  12. Old Englishbrēdan
  13. Middle Englishbreden
  14. Englishbreed
  15. Englishinterbreed

From inter- + breed.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian кръстосвам
  • кръстосвам (krăstosvam)to breed or reproduce within a heterogenous community, the products of which produce hybrids
Dutch intelen, hybridiseren
  • intelento breed or reproduce within an isolated community
  • hybridiserento breed or reproduce within a heterogenous community, the products of which produce hybrids

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with interbreed

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

interbreed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interbreed

MLA

“interbreed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interbreed. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “interbreed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/interbreed.

Source: interbreed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.