Okuzeka
Veterinary Medicine vocabulary · Animals, Species and Breeds

Breed

Meaning in veterinary medicine, with examples

/briːd/nounCore term

In veterinary medicine, breed means: A group of animals within one species that share a recognisable appearance and traits passed down through controlled mating, such as the Labrador or the Holstein.

In Turkish: ırk, soy

How it is used

Recorded in every patient file and asked at the first visit: What breed is he? Vets talk about breed predispositions, because many diseases are more common in certain breeds. Breed is also a verb: to breed dogs, breeding cattle.

Example sentences

  1. Hip dysplasia is a known problem in this breed, so we screen breeding dogs.

  2. Is he purebred or a crossbreed?

  3. Brachycephalic breeds such as pugs often struggle in hot weather.

Common collocations

  • breed predisposition
  • pure breed
  • crossbreed
  • breed standard
  • dairy breed
  • canineRelating to dogs. As a noun it also means a dog in formal writing, and in anatomy it is the long pointed tooth next to the incisors.
  • cattleCows, bulls, steers and calves kept for milk or meat. It is a plural noun with no singular form.
  • husbandryThe everyday care and management of farm animals, including housing, feeding, breeding, hygiene and handling.
  • artificial inseminationPlacing semen collected from a male into a female's reproductive tract with instruments, instead of natural mating, to make her pregnant.

This word in other fields

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

More terms: Animals, Species and Breeds

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.