Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BREED, v.t. [pret. and pp. bred. Sax. bredan, brædan, to warm, to dilate, to open, to spread; D. broeden, to brood; Ger. brüten, to brood; Dan. breder, to spread, dilate, unfold; W. brwd, warm; brydiaw, to warm, to heat. Class Rd. See Broad.]

1. To generate; to engender; to hatch; to produce the young of any species of animals. I think it is never used of plants, and in animals is always applied to the mother or dam.
2. To produce within or upon the body; as, to breed teeth; to breed worms.
3. To cause; to occasion; to produce; to originate. Intemperance and lust breed infirmities. – Tillotson. Ambition breeds factions. – Anon.
4. To contrive; to hatch; to produce by plotting. Had he a heart and a brain to breed it in? – Shak.
5. To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds a race of stout men.
6. To educate; to instruct; to form by education; often, but unnecessarily, followed by up; as to breed a son to an occupation; a man bred at a university. To breed up is vulgar.
7. To bring up; to nurse and foster; to take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to provide for, train and conduct; to instruct the mind and form the manners in youth. To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed. – Dryden.