hybrid

1 of 2

noun

hy·​brid ˈhī-brəd 

1

: an offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera

a hybrid of two roses

2

: a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions

3

a

: something heterogeneous in origin or composition : composite

hybrids of complementary DNA and RNA strands

a hybrid of medieval and Renaissance styles

b

: something (such as a power plant, vehicle, or electronic circuit) that has two different types of components performing essentially the same function

drives a hybrid that gets really good mileage

hybridism

ˈhī-brə-ˌdi-zəm 

noun

hybridity

hī-ˈbri-də-tē 

noun

hybrid

2 of 2

adjective

1

: relating to or produced from parents of different species, varieties, or breeds

a hybrid rose

hybrid cattle

2

: having or produced by a combination of two or more distinct elements : marked by heterogeneity in origin, composition, or appearance

… difficulties with normal English are … its hybrid vocabulary and the irregularities of English spelling.

—G. A. Miller

a hybrid style

3

: having two different types of components performing essentially the same function

a hybrid vehicle

Synonyms

Noun

• cross
• crossbred
• crossbreed
• intercross
• mongrel

Adjective

• cold-blooded
• coldblood
• cross
• crossbred
• mixed
• mongrel

Examples of hybrid in a Sentence

Noun

a hybrid of two roses

The band plays a hybrid of jazz and rock.

Adjective

a hybrid rose called "American Beauty" was actually first developed in France

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Physicists debated for decades (opens a new tab) whether this bizarre superfluid-solid hybrid could exist. —Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024

Following the trend of reviving old model names for new cars, Honda is set to bring the Prelude name back with a petrol hybrid powertrain soon. —Trinity Francis, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Adjective

While quantum computing is not yet capable of solving large-scale problems independently, hybrid models—where quantum systems work in tandem with classical computing—can deliver significant performance boosts in specific areas, such as optimization and simulation. —Yuval Boger, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Karma’s hybrid super sedan is about to get a big power boost. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Latin hybrida

First Known Use

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

circa 1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hybrid

• hybrid computer
• hybrid tea rose
• hybrid vigor

Kids Definition

hybrid

noun

hy·​brid

ˈhī-brəd

1

: an offspring of two animals or plants of different subspecies, breeds, varieties, species, or genera

2

: a person whose background is a blend of two diverse cultures or traditions

3

: something having or produced by a combination or two or more distinct elements

4

: something having two different types of components performing essentially the same function

a hybrid vehicle

hybrid adjective

Medical Definition

hybrid

noun

hy·​brid ˈhī-brəd 

1

: an offspring of two animals or plants of different races, breeds, varieties, species, or genera

2

: something heterogeneous in origin or composition

artificial hybrids of DNA and RNA

somatic cell hybrids of mouse and human cells

hybrid adjective

hybridism

-brə-ˌdiz-əm 

noun

hybridity

hī-ˈbrid-ət-ē 

noun

plural hybridities

Legal Definition

hybrid

adjective

hy·​brid

ˈhī-brid

: consisting of diverse components: as

a

: of, relating to, or being a lawsuit brought by an employee under the Labor Management Relations Act against both the employer for breach of contract and the union for breach of the duty of fair representation

b

: of, relating to, or being representation of a criminal defendant in which the defendant represents himself or herself with the assistance of a lawyer