1
: the young of an animal or a family of young
especially
: the young (as of a bird or insect) hatched or cared for at one time
a hen with her brood of chicks
2
: a group having a common nature or origin
the entire brood of chronicle plays—
T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot3
: the children of a family
takes their brood to church every Sunday
: kept for breeding (see breed entry 1 sense 3)
a brood flock
brooded; brooding; broods
2
of a bird
: to cover (young) with the wings
3
: to think anxiously or gloomily about : ponder
I used to brood these things on my walk—Christopher Morley
Christopher Morley1
a
of a bird
: to brood eggs or young
b
: to sit quietly and thoughtfully : meditate
3
a
: to dwell gloomily on a subject
brooded over his mistake
b
: to be in a state of depression
sat brooding in her room
Did you know?
The Eggy History of Brood
One of the noun senses of brood that is often encountered today is "the children of a family" (as in "they showed up at the picnic with their whole brood"). This may seem as though it is unrelated to the most commonly used verb sense, which is "to think anxiously or gloomily about; ponder," but the two words come from the same source, the Old English brōd. The noun form of brood came first, and the verb, when it appeared in our language, was used to refer to the action of chickens sitting on their eggs. Eventually the verb began to be used in a figurative manner, and took on the "worriedly pondering" sense it has today.
Synonyms
Examples of brood in a Sentence
Noun
a hen and her brood of chicks
Mrs. Smith took her brood to church every Sunday.
Verb
He brooded over his mistake.
After the argument, she sat in her bedroom, brooding.
Recent Examples on the WebEmily Deletter, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
This is a brood so angry and lost that Eugene O’Neill might tell them to lighten up.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
The film is a biographical drama about the Smallbone family, a large brood from Australia who emigrated to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s, following father David’s dreams of working as a promoter in the music industry.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
The Northern Illinois Brood This brood includes three types of cicadas.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
The film is a biographical drama about the Smallbone family, a large brood from Australia who immigrated to Nashville in the early 1990s, following father David’s dreams of working as a promoter in the music industry.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Stories about the duck and her brood were carried in newspapers around the country; Gertie herself was the subject of a photo spread in Life magazine.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
Some birds reuse nests, but juncos rarely do, which is likely why your birds chose a different hanging pot for their second brood.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Their reach is expected to span across 17 states to be exact, with some overlap of the two broods in Illinois and Indiana.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2013
Their home became a way station for traveling students, poets and artists, as well as for Mr. Barker’s already sizable brood, many of them grown with families of their own.
—New York Times, 19 May 2022
The Yankees’ ace didn’t brood that whole time, but didn’t forget about the Red Sox chasing him in the third inning of the American League Wild Card.
—Kristie Ackert, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2022
Biologists this week assigned the famed gray wolf OR-7 and his brood official pack status, the Associated Press reports.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2015
The most limiting factor for these stockings is acquiring brood stock.
—Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Apr. 2021
The department’s goal within the next few years is to create an army of brood fish from ShareLunker offspring.
—Dallas News, 10 Apr. 2021
Justin Hughes, upland gamebird habitat specialist for Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks in Region 7, said turkeys enjoyed good nesting and brood conditions across the region during 2020.
—Brian Lovett, Outdoor Life, 8 Jan. 2021
Though still being tabulated, this summer’s study suggests brood survival was favorable, at least in the northeast, Roy said.
—Star Tribune, 17 Sep. 2020
Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
But the sky nevertheless seemed well stocked with the atmospheric ingredients for rain, with dark and brooding clouds, and the emphatic breeziness that often accompanies a spring storm.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
There are other solid supporting performances — Harris broods especially soulfully — but this is one of those shows in which the location is a character.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
Every year since, Child has dropped a new Reacher mystery that finds the brooding introvert roaming the country and pitching in to investigate mysterious situations, usually pummeling bad guys along the way.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
With a haunting soundtrack and precise, brooding cinematography, Argento creates a chillingly grimy atmosphere that pervades every frame.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
His sound so far has been uncharacteristically dark and brooding for Afrobeats.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
White chose another Four Seasons property for his sophomore season: Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in the hilltop town of Taormina, overlooking the Ionian Sea with brooding Mount Etna in the distance.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024
Both actors have played the show's leading man on the Regency era series, with Page kicking things off as the brooding Duke of Hastings in season one, opposite love interest Daphne Bridgerton (played by Phoebe Dynevor).
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
Trillions of periodical cicadas in two different groups, or broods, are expected to make an entrance very soon in multiple states.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 27 Apr. 2024
This is a brood so angry and lost that Eugene O’Neill might tell them to lighten up.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024
The film is a biographical drama about the Smallbone family, a large brood from Australia who emigrated to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early 1990s, following father David’s dreams of working as a promoter in the music industry.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2024
The Northern Illinois Brood This brood includes three types of cicadas.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024
The film is a biographical drama about the Smallbone family, a large brood from Australia who immigrated to Nashville in the early 1990s, following father David’s dreams of working as a promoter in the music industry.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2024
Stories about the duck and her brood were carried in newspapers around the country; Gertie herself was the subject of a photo spread in Life magazine.
—Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
Some birds reuse nests, but juncos rarely do, which is likely why your birds chose a different hanging pot for their second brood.
—Joan Morris, The Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2024
Their reach is expected to span across 17 states to be exact, with some overlap of the two broods in Illinois and Indiana.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2024
Adjective
First, coot parents allow brood reduction to happen, watching their chicks compete to the death.
—Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2013
Their home became a way station for traveling students, poets and artists, as well as for Mr. Barker’s already sizable brood, many of them grown with families of their own.
—New York Times, 19 May 2022
The Yankees’ ace didn’t brood that whole time, but didn’t forget about the Red Sox chasing him in the third inning of the American League Wild Card.
—Kristie Ackert, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2022
Biologists this week assigned the famed gray wolf OR-7 and his brood official pack status, the Associated Press reports.
—The Editors, Outside Online, 9 Jan. 2015
The most limiting factor for these stockings is acquiring brood stock.
—Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Apr. 2021
The department’s goal within the next few years is to create an army of brood fish from ShareLunker offspring.
—Dallas News, 10 Apr. 2021
Justin Hughes, upland gamebird habitat specialist for Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks in Region 7, said turkeys enjoyed good nesting and brood conditions across the region during 2020.
—Brian Lovett, Outdoor Life, 8 Jan. 2021
Though still being tabulated, this summer’s study suggests brood survival was favorable, at least in the northeast, Roy said.
—Star Tribune, 17 Sep. 2020
Verb
This is the first time since 1803 that broods XIII and XIX will emerge during the same summer.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 10 Apr. 2024
But the sky nevertheless seemed well stocked with the atmospheric ingredients for rain, with dark and brooding clouds, and the emphatic breeziness that often accompanies a spring storm.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
There are other solid supporting performances — Harris broods especially soulfully — but this is one of those shows in which the location is a character.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Mar. 2024
Every year since, Child has dropped a new Reacher mystery that finds the brooding introvert roaming the country and pitching in to investigate mysterious situations, usually pummeling bad guys along the way.
—Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
With a haunting soundtrack and precise, brooding cinematography, Argento creates a chillingly grimy atmosphere that pervades every frame.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
His sound so far has been uncharacteristically dark and brooding for Afrobeats.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
White chose another Four Seasons property for his sophomore season: Four Seasons San Domenico Palace in the hilltop town of Taormina, overlooking the Ionian Sea with brooding Mount Etna in the distance.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2024
Both actors have played the show's leading man on the Regency era series, with Page kicking things off as the brooding Duke of Hastings in season one, opposite love interest Daphne Bridgerton (played by Phoebe Dynevor).
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 10 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brood
Cite this Entry
“Brood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brood. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brood
1 of 3 noun
: a family of young animals or children
especially
: the young (as of a bird) hatched or cared for at one time
brood
2 of 3 verb1
: to sit on eggs in order to hatch them
2
: to cover young with the wings
3
: to think long and anxiously about something
brooded over his mistake
broodingly
adverb
-iŋ-lē
brood
3 of 3 adjective
: kept for breeding
a brood mare
a brood flock
Medical Definition
brood
1 of 2 noun
: the young of an animal or a family of young
especially
: the young (as of a bird or insect) hatched or cared for at one time
brood
2 of 2 transitive verb1
a
: to sit on or incubate (eggs)
b
: to produce by or as if by incubation
2
: to think anxiously or gloomily about
1
of a bird
: to brood eggs or young
2
a
: to dwell gloomily on a subject
b
: to be in a state of depression
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