Breedings

/ˈbriːdɪŋz/ noun

Definition

Plural of breeding; multiple instances or programs of animal reproduction, or the ancestry and training of someone.

Etymology

From 'breeding' plus the plural suffix '-s.' 'Breeding' comes from 'breed' (Old English 'brēdan'), with '-ing' marking the gerund or noun form.

Kelly Says

In historical contexts, someone's 'breedings' were their social status markers—it literally meant who your parents and grandparents were, which is why aristocrats obsessed over 'good breeding' versus 'common breeding.'

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