interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌin-tər-ˈbrēd 

interbred ˌin-tər-ˈbred  ; interbreeding

intransitive verb

: to breed together: such as

a

: crossbreed

b

: to breed within a closed population

transitive verb

: to cause to breed together

Examples of interbreed in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Denisovans interbred with Neandertals, and both mated with modern humans. —Daniel Vergano, Scientific American, 11 Oct. 2024

But many questions still linger around where these two groups got together and what their interbreeding might have looked like. —Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 2 Oct. 2024

This ongoing natural selection against hybrid individuals is what ultimately prevents two species from collapsing into one through interbreeding. —Rebecca Heisman, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

Scientists have also identified some Denisovan DNA in living humans, including in Papuans and Han Chinese people, acquired from past interbreeding. —Byann Gibbons, science.org, 11 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌint-ər-ˈbrēd 

interbred -ˈbred  ; interbreeding

: to breed or cause to breed together: as

a

: crossbreed

b

: to breed within a population

Medical Definition

interbreed

verb

in·​ter·​breed ˌint-ər-ˈbrēd 

interbred -ˈbred  ; interbreeding

intransitive verb

: to breed together: as

a

: crossbreed

b

: to breed within a closed population

transitive verb

: to cause to breed together