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Agriculture vocabulary · Livestock

Breed

Meaning in agriculture, with examples

/briːd/nounCommon term

In agriculture, breed means: A group of animals of the same species with similar appearance and characteristics, developed and kept by people, such as Holstein cattle or Merino sheep.

In Turkish: ırk, cins

How it is used

Breeders compare breeds for milk, meat, fertility and hardiness and talk about pure breeds, crossbreeds and native breeds. As a verb, 'breed' means to keep animals in order to produce young ('breed cattle').

Example sentences

  1. Holstein, known in Turkey as Siyah Alaca, is the most widely kept dairy breed on commercial farms.

  2. Native breeds give less milk but cope better with poor pasture.

Common collocations

  • dairy breed
  • beef breed
  • native breed
  • crossbreed
  • breed cattle
  • cattleCows, bulls, steers and calves considered as a group and kept for milk, meat or work.
  • herdA group of animals of one kind, especially cattle, goats or buffalo, that live, feed and are managed together.
  • milk yieldThe amount of milk an animal or herd produces, usually measured in liters or kilograms per day or per lactation.
  • livestockAnimals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry that are kept on a farm for meat, milk, eggs, wool or work.
  • calvingThe act of a cow giving birth to a calf; also the period of the year when the cows in a herd give birth.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Livestock

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