inbreeding
noun
in·breed·ing
| \ ˈin-ˈbrē-diŋ
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Definition of inbreeding
1
: the interbreeding of closely related individuals especially to preserve and fix desirable characters of and to eliminate unfavorable characters from a stock
2
: confinement to a narrow range or a local or limited field of choice
Examples of inbreeding in a Sentence
genetic defects caused by inbreeding
Recent Examples on the Web
His decline demonstrates one problem with all this inbreeding. — Maureen O’hagan, Quartz, "The way we breed cows is setting them up for extinction," 24 June 2019 His decline demonstrates one problem with all this inbreeding. — Maureen O’hagan, Quartz, "The way we breed cows is setting them up for extinction," 24 June 2019 His decline demonstrates one problem with all this inbreeding. — Maureen O’hagan, Quartz, "The way we breed cows is setting them up for extinction," 24 June 2019 His decline demonstrates one problem with all this inbreeding. — Maureen O'hagan, Scientific American, "From Two Bulls, Nine Million Dairy Cows," 20 June 2019 Not only are there fewer calves in recent years, but signs of inbreeding also point to a weakening population. — New York Times, "Orcas of the Pacific Northwest Are Starving and Disappearing," 9 July 2018 For instance, scientists can now exchange oryx sperm overseas to avoid the consequences of inbreeding within zoo populations, and employ the option of preemptively inseminating females before their release into the wild. — Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian, "New Artificial Insemination Technique Successfully Breeds Critically Endangered Scimitar-Horned Oryx," 10 July 2018 Scientists said the information could help explain, for example, whether internal factors such as inbreeding or genetic variation in immune systems are preventing the whales from rebounding. — Phuong Le, The Seattle Times, "Scientists to sequence genes of struggling southern-resident orca whales," 5 Oct. 2018 After continuous observation for months, only the most sociable were selected for the next generation, with the researchers taking care to avoid inbreeding. — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "Friendly fox genomes help us understand the genetics of behavior," 11 Aug. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inbreeding.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for inbreeding
inbreeding
noun
English Language Learners Definition of inbreeding
: a process by which animals, plants, or people are born from or produced by closely related parents
See the full definition for inbreeding in the English Language Learners Dictionary
inbreeding
noun
in·breed·ing
| \ ˈin-ˈbrēd-iŋ
\
\
Medical Definition of inbreeding
: the interbreeding of closely related individuals especially to preserve and fix desirable characters of and to eliminate unfavorable characters from a stock — compare linebreeding, outbreeding
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