Bread vs. Breed: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 11, 2023
Bread is a staple food made from dough, while breed refers to a particular type or lineage of animals or plants or the act of producing offspring.
Key Differences
Bread and breed are two entirely different words in English, each with its own distinct meaning. Bread is primarily understood as a type of food, usually made from wheat, and is a staple in many diets around the world. It can be baked, fried, or steamed and comes in various forms like loaves, buns, or rolls. Breed, on the other hand, is most commonly associated with types or categories of animals, especially in the context of lineage or pedigree.
Additionally, while bread is confined to the realm of nourishment and culinary delights, breed has a broader application. To breed is also a verb, meaning to produce offspring by mating. For example, farmers might breed animals to produce certain desirable traits. Bread doesn't have this verb form.
Moreover, bread can be used metaphorically in language, signifying basic necessities or means of sustenance as in "breadwinner" or "breaking bread." Breed does not share this metaphorical connection to sustenance but can denote characteristics or behaviors thought to be typical of particular groups or types.
It's essential to recognize the grammatical differences as well. While bread is a noun, breed can function both as a noun and a verb. So, while one might have a slice of bread, one might also breed dogs or discuss the breed of a particular animal.
Comparison Chart
Grammar Type
Noun
Noun & Verb
ADVERTISEMENT
Primary Meaning
Food made from dough
Type or lineage of animals or plants
Secondary Meaning
Source of sustenance (metaphorical)
To produce offspring
Contextual Example
Bread as in sandwiches
Breeding animals for specific traits
Related Words
Loaf, bun, roll
Species, lineage, reproduce
Bread and Breed Definitions
Bread
A piece of food made from dough.
She ordered a bread basket for the table.
ADVERTISEMENT
Breed
A stock of animals or plants within a species.
The Siamese is a popular cat breed.
Bread
The food that one needs in order to live.
Bread and water are basic necessities.
Breed
To develop a particular characteristic.
Neglect can breed resentment.
Bread
A food made from flour, water, and yeast or another leavening agent.
I baked some fresh bread this morning.
Breed
A lineage or strain with shared characteristics.
This dog is of a rare breed.
Bread
A source of sustenance or livelihood.
He is the breadwinner of the family.
Breed
To give rise to; lead to.
Such conditions breed disease.
Bread
Money (informal usage).
He made a lot of bread with that investment.
Breed
To produce (offspring); give birth to or hatch.
Bread
A staple food made from flour or meal mixed with other dry and liquid ingredients, usually combined with a leavening agent, and kneaded, shaped into loaves, and baked.
Breed
To bring about; engender
"Admission of guilt tends to breed public sympathy" (Jonathan Alter).
Bread
Food in general, regarded as necessary for sustaining life
"If bread is the first necessity of life, recreation is a close second" (Edward Bellamy).
Breed
To cause to reproduce, especially by controlled mating and selection
Breed cattle.
Bread
Something that nourishes; sustenance
"My bread shall be the anguish of my mind" (Edmund Spenser).
Breed
To develop new or improved strains in (organisms), chiefly through controlled mating and selection of offspring for desirable traits.
Bread
Means of support; livelihood
Earn one's bread.
Breed
To inseminate or impregnate; mate with.
Bread
(Slang) Money.
Breed
To rear or train; bring up
A writer who was bred in a seafaring culture.
Bread
To coat with bread crumbs, as before cooking
Breaded the fish fillets.
Breed
To be the place of origin of
Austria breeds great skiers.
Bread
(uncountable)
Breed
To produce (fissionable material) in a breeder reactor.
Bread
A foodstuff made by baking dough made from cereals.
We made sandwiches with the bread we bought from the bakery.
Any leftover bread can be put into the pudding.
Breed
To produce offspring.
Bread
Food; sustenance; support of life, in general.
Breed
To copulate; mate.
Bread
(countable) Any variety of bread.
Breed
To originate and develop
Mischief breeds in bored minds.
Bread
Money.
Breed
A group of organisms having common ancestors and certain distinguishable characteristics, especially a group within a species developed by artificial selection and maintained by controlled propagation.
Bread
Breadth.
Breed
A kind; a sort
A new breed of politician.
A new breed of computer.
Bread
A piece of embroidery; a braid.
Breed
(Offensive) A person of mixed racial descent; a half-breed.
Bread
(transitive) To coat with breadcrumbs.
Breaded fish
Breed
To produce offspring sexually; to bear young.
Bread
To make broad; spread.
Breed
(transitive) To give birth to; to be the native place of.
A pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men
Bread
(transitive) To form in meshes; net.
Breed
Of animals, to mate.
Bread
To spread.
Breed
To keep animals and have them reproduce in a way that improves the next generation’s qualities.
Bread
To cover with bread crumbs, preparatory to cooking; as, breaded cutlets.
Breed
To arrange the mating of specific animals.
She wanted to breed her cow to the neighbor's registered bull.
Bread
An article of food made from flour or meal by moistening, kneading, and baking.
Breed
To propagate or grow plants trying to give them certain qualities.
He tries to breed blue roses.
Bread
Food; sustenance; support of life, in general.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Breed
To take care of in infancy and through childhood; to bring up.
Bread
Food made from dough of flour or meal and usually raised with yeast or baking powder and then baked
Breed
To yield or result in.
Disaster breeds famine;
Familiarity breeds contempt
Bread
Informal terms for money
Breed
To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, like young before birth.
Bread
Cover with bread crumbs;
Bread the pork chops before frying them
Breed
(sometimes as breed up) To educate; to instruct; to bring up
Breed
To produce or obtain by any natural process.
Breed
(intransitive) To have birth; to be produced, developed or multiplied.
Breed
(transitive) to ejaculate inside someone's anus
Breed
All animals or plants of the same species or subspecies.
A breed of tulip
A breed of animal
Breed
A race or lineage; offspring or issue.
Breed
(informal) A group of people with shared characteristics.
People who were taught classical Greek and Latin at school are a dying breed.
Breed
To produce as offspring; to bring forth; to bear; to procreate; to generate; to beget; to hatch.
Yet every mother breeds not sons alike.
If the sun breed maggots in a dead dog.
Breed
To take care of in infancy, and through the age of youth; to bring up; to nurse and foster.
To bring thee forth with pain, with care to breed.
Born and bred on the verge of the wilderness.
Breed
To educate; to instruct; to form by education; to train; - sometimes followed by up.
But no care was taken to breed him a Protestant.
His farm may not remove his children too far from him, or the trade he breeds them up in.
Breed
To engender; to cause; to occasion; to originate; to produce; as, to breed a storm; to breed disease.
Lest the placeAnd my quaint habits breed astonishment.
Breed
To give birth to; to be the native place of; as, a pond breeds fish; a northern country breeds stout men.
Breed
To raise, as any kind of stock.
Breed
To produce or obtain by any natural process.
Children would breed their teeth with less danger.
Breed
To bear and nourish young; to reproduce or multiply itself; to be pregnant.
That they breed abundantly in the earth.
The mother had never bred before.
Ant. Is your gold and silver ewes and rams?Shy. I can not tell. I make it breed as fast.
Breed
To be formed in the parent or dam; to be generated, or to grow, as young before birth.
Breed
To have birth; to be produced or multiplied.
Heavens rain graceOn that which breeds between them.
Breed
To raise a breed; to get progeny.
The kind of animal which you wish to breed from.
Breed
A race or variety of men or other animals (or of plants), perpetuating its special or distinctive characteristics by inheritance.
Twice fifteen thousand hearts of England's breed.
Greyhounds of the best breed.
Breed
Class; sort; kind; - of men, things, or qualities.
Are these the breed of wits so wondered at?
This courtesy is not of the right breed.
Breed
A number produced at once; a brood.
Breed
A special lineage;
A breed of Americans
Breed
A special variety of domesticated animals within a species;
He experimented on a particular breed of white rats
He created a new strain of sheep
Breed
Half-caste offspring of parents of different races (especially of white and Indian parents)
Breed
A lineage or race of people
Breed
Call forth
Breed
Copulate with a female, used especially of horses;
The horse covers the mare
Breed
Of plants or animals;
She breeds dogs
Breed
Have young (animals);
Pandas rarely breed in captivity
Breed
To reproduce or cause to reproduce.
They breed horses on their farm.
FAQs
What does "breaking bread" mean?
It's a phrase that often means sharing a meal or coming together in peace and fellowship.
Can breed refer to plants as well?
Yes, breed can refer to specific types or strains of plants.
What's the difference between species and breed?
Species is a broader classification of living organisms, while breed is a specific subgroup within a species.
Does breeding always refer to animals?
No, breeding can refer to both animals and plants.
Can conditions or environments breed certain outcomes?
Yes, metaphorically, conditions can "breed" or lead to specific results or behaviors.
What does "rare breed" mean?
It refers to something uncommon or unique, often used metaphorically.
Are bread and pastry the same?
No, while both are baked goods, pastry is often sweeter and has different ingredients.
Is bread always eaten as is?
No, bread can be toasted, buttered, used in sandwiches, or served with dips.
Are all breeds the result of intentional breeding?
No, some breeds develop naturally over time.
Can bread be considered a universal food?
While many cultures have some form of bread, the ingredients and preparation methods vary.
Can bread also mean money?
Informally, yes. In slang, "bread" can refer to money.
Is bread always made from wheat?
No, bread can be made from various grains like rye, barley, and corn.
Can breeding be a professional occupation?
Yes, there are professional breeders who specialize in producing specific breeds of animals.
Can bread be made without yeast?
Yes, there are unleavened breads that don't require yeast.
Can the word breed be used as both a noun and a verb?
Yes, you can refer to a type of animal as a breed (noun) or the act of reproduction as breeding (verb).
What does "purebred" mean?
It refers to an animal whose parents are of the same breed.
Is flatbread truly flat?
Generally, yes. Flatbread is typically thinner and doesn't rise as much as other bread.
Is sourdough a type of bread?
Yes, sourdough is bread made by the fermentation of dough using wild yeast.
Is bread gluten-free?
Regular bread contains gluten, but there are gluten-free varieties available.
Why do people breed animals?
Reasons include producing specific traits, for competitions, preserving a breed, or economic reasons.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
