An archaic or dialectal word meaning to grow, spread, or expand, or to breed and produce offspring.
From Old English 'byrdan,' related to 'bread' (to spread, broaden) and 'breed.' This verb largely disappeared from standard English, surviving mainly in Scottish and Northern English dialects.
This verb shows how English has shuffled its vocabulary over centuries—what was once 'brerd' became 'breed,' and earlier meanings of spreading or growing were replaced by the modern sense of sexual reproduction.
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