Breeding - Definition and Overview

Breeding has several meanings related to procreation:

• In animal husbandry and in horticulture the selection of stock for propagation and the act of insemination by natural or artificial means is called breeding. See Selective breeding and Artificial selection.

• The act of sexual intercourse in animals is sometimes called breeding.

• Breeding refers to the vocation of propagating a particular breed in the hobby of animal fancy.

• Socially, one is said to have "good breeding" if one observes and exhibits the etiquette, proprieties and social mores of the society in which one lives. Also used more exclusively to denote one who comes from a family of the "correct" social class (usually a wealthy class) and exhibits the manners, education, and other characteristics appropriate to that class.

See also:

• Apiculture (beekeeping)
• Aquaculture
• Cat breeding
• Dog breeding
• Fish farming
• Herpetoculture (reptiles and amphibians)
• Horse breeding
• Plant or crop breeding