Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To produce (an organism) by the mating of individuals of different breeds, varieties, or species; hybridize.
  • intransitive verb To mate so as to produce a hybrid; interbreed.
  • noun An organism produced by mating of individuals of different varieties or breeds.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A class or strain of animals produced by cross-breeding, or of plants resulting from hybridization; a mongrel or hybrid breed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A breed or an animal produced from parents of different breeds; a new variety, as of plants, combining the qualities of two parent varieties or stocks.
  • noun Anything partaking of the natures of two different things; a hybrid.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To produce (an organism) by the mating of individuals of different breeds, varieties, or species; hybridize.
  • verb intransitive To mate so as to produce a hybrid; interbreed.
  • verb transitive To mate (an organism) with another organism so as to produce a hybrid.
  • noun An organism produced by mating of individuals of different varieties or breeds.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb breed animals or plants using parents of different races and varieties
  • noun (genetics) an organism that is the offspring of genetically dissimilar parents or stock; especially offspring produced by breeding plants or animals of different varieties or breeds or species

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The crossbreed is a good woman who goes bad or a bad woman who goes good.

    The Women’s Room Marilyn French 1977

  • The crossbreed is a good woman who goes bad or a bad woman who goes good.

    The Women’s Room Marilyn French 1977

  • The crossbreed is a good woman who goes bad or a bad woman who goes good.

    The Women’s Room Marilyn French 1977

  • Franzone said pushing the auction back is causing other aspects of Maryland's racing industry to be put on hold - namely a crossbreed simulcast agreement between the thoroughbred industry and the Standardbred industry that would allow tracks on both sides to take bets on the other's races.

    Maryland Daily Record 2010

  • The two winged creatures came to a landing: Che and some kind of crossbreed centaur female.

    Stork Naked Anthony, Piers 2006

  • "But what kind of crossbreed wouldn't fit on a world like this?"

    Zombie Lover Anthony, Piers 1998

  • "But what kind of crossbreed wouldn't fit on a world like this?"

    Zombie Lover Anthony, Piers 1998

  • "Would you breed with some other kind of crossbreed, not a centaur?"

    Dragon on a Pedestal Anthony, Piers 1983

  • In fact, all we can do is confess our 'Kantian' ignorance at the limits of science as metaphysics and not be so determined to do all the foolish things ignorant people might wish to do, such as crossbreed man and chimpanzee, or produce chimeras of the type Dawkins so grinningly finds he would inflict on those less 'rational' than he.

    Darwiniana 2009

  • As for evolution, the "crossbreed" scenario only works for those who don't quite understand evolution or genetic mapping ...

    Comic Book Resources 2009

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