From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbreedingbreed‧ing /ˈbriːdɪŋ/ noun [uncountable] 1 BABY/HAVE A BABYwhen animals produce babies Open-sea fish lay several million eggs each breeding season.2 HBTAthe activity of keeping animals or plants in order to produce animals or plants that have particular qualities the breeding of pedigree dogs Benson took great care in selecting breeding stock (=animals you keep to breed from).3 POLITEthe fact of coming from a family of high rank and having polite social behaviour The young lieutenant had an air of wealth and good breeding.
Examples from the Corpus
breeding• a woman of wealth and good breeding• If breeding is part of the experimental protocol then the premises must be designated for both breeding and scientific procedures.• The reason became apparent when she saw a young female come into breeding condition.• This selection of foods will soon bring your fish into breeding condition.• So it can be understood that planned breeding is not a new idea.• She expresses particular concern about the breeding of animals solely for experimental use, including animals with genetic alterations.• When winter snow and ice cover the breeding grounds the birds head south to Britain.• It is not only the breeding pair that occupies the territory around a nest.• A plastic dustbin with breeding colony on to which organic waste is showered.breeding season• This was in the 1983-4 breeding season.• Mate fidelity between breeding seasons is relatively low, so a high proportion of the population re-pair each year.• The disease often attacks during the birds' breeding season.• Normally silent, but may grunt in breeding season.• Sexing is by coloration, the male is a reddish colour, deepening during the breeding season.• Pressure from recreation on these open areas is usually considerable, with consequently much disturbance to birds particularly in the breeding season.• In the breeding season males peek more often than females.• In the breeding season pairs split off from the social group and make a rough platform nest for two white eggs.• The breeding season lasts from late spring until late summer, depending to some degree upon temperature.breeding stock• The local breeding stock appears to disperse in July and August and winter visitors may start to arrive in September.• Whilst the dates of Autumn sales for disposal of breeding stock may be the final factor.• This, again, ensures that the pool of breeding stock is continually improved with the introduction of non-related bloodlines.• the sale of breeding stock• It seems most likely that the breeding stock is becoming resident on its breeding waters.• The breeding stock has increased steadily since 1958, and some increase has occurred in the number wintering.• The high number of farms with adult cattle was surprising especially in areas more suited to breeding stock.good breeding• You need to learn about good breeding.• It was neat and elegant, like all wild animals, with an air of aristocratic insouciance and good breeding.• Rich, well connected Vanessa exudes good breeding, but her passive veneer conceals a passionate nature.• Then we bought a lovely horse called Prince with much better breeding than the others.• He saw a rather pretty woman, not very young, with an air of good breeding that somehow attracted him.• Would the Princess like to recommend two single girls of good breeding who would be acceptable guests? 