[f. BREED v. + -ING1.]
1. Bringing to the birth; hatching; production of young. Breeding of teeth: dentition (obs.).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3479. Hir breding was ful selcut sare, Bot hir chiltting was mikel mare.
1387. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. ii. (1495), 600. Grete bredynge of beestis is in suche places.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 49. Bredynge, or brodynge … of birdys.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 635. For bredynge To set an hen on eyron ix is goode.
1544. Phaër, Regim. Lyfe (1560), S v b. Breedyng of teeth.
1712. Lond. Gaz., No. 4976/2. Illness … occasioned by the breeding of his Teeth.
1836. Penny Cycl., VI. 378/2. The breeding and fattening of cattle.
† b. Hence (vulgarly), extraction, parentage. Obs.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., V. iii. 111. I know not your breeding.
1606. Day, Isle of Guls, iv. 1. Lis. What breeding hast had? Man. Very good breeding, sir; my great grandfather was a ratcatcher, my grandsire a hangman.
2. fig. Origination, production, development.
1549. Q. Eliz., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 166, II. 157. That shulde be but a bridinge of a ivel wil of the people.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxvii. 426. The breeding of Kingdomes and Principalities.
1625. Ussher, Answ. Jesuit, 400. The breedings of this disease.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 62. The heat which was in fermentation whilst they [Minerals] were yet in breeding.
3. The rearing and training of the young; bringing up: formerly in sense of ‘education.’
1577. Hellowes, trans. Gueuara’s Chron., 91. For ye breeding of children … and the marriage of Orphans.
1653. Milton, Hirelings, Wks. (1851), 381. [They] have had the most of thir breeding, both at School and University, by Scholarships.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Declam. Adv., Wks. 1730, I. 42. You had never very good breeding thus to laugh at my ingenuity.
1777. Sheridan, Trip Scarb., I. i. She has her breeding within doors: the parson teaches her to play upon the dulcimer.
1859. Mill, Liberty, ii. 48. His Stoical breeding.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., I. ii. 61. Royal birth and breeding.
4. The results of training as shown in personal manners and behavior; generally used for ‘good breeding,’ good or proper manners.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., II. vii. 33. In graces, and in qualities of breeding.
1665. Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1675), Pref. 14. As I fancy’d persons, of their Breeding and tempers, would talk to one another.
1689. Shadwell, Bury F., I. i. 122. It out does St. James Square in dressing and breeding.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 21, ¶ 2. The Height of good Breeding.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., I. § 12. Mind what men of parts and breeding say.
1771. Goldsm., Hist. England, III. 142. This romantic message, which was quite in the breeding of the times.
1826. Disraeli, Viv. Grey, VII. vi. 421. Her ignorance of all breeding is amusing.
1870. R. G. White, Words & their Uses (1881), 62. That tone of voice which … indicates breeding rather than education, [etc.].
5. attrib. as in breeding-cage, -ground, -hole, -place, -pond, -season, -time, etc.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 128, ¶ 3. Their Songs begin a little before Breeding-time.
a. 1714. M. Henry, Wks., I. § 552. It may minister some comfort and relief to a pious mother, in breeding-sickness.
1789. G. White, Selborne (1851), 70. The migration of frogs from their breeding-ponds.
1841. in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, I. ix. 252. The favourite … breeding-places of these birds.
1842. Dickens, Amer. Notes (1850), 118/1. A breeding-place of fever, ague, and death.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., I. xxi. 268. Ducks … seeking their breeding-grounds.
