breeder

breed +‎ -er.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɹiːdɚ/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːdə(ɹ)

breeder (plural breeders)

1. A person who breeds plants or animals (professionally).
   • 2016, Jayson Lusk, Unnaturally Delicious, →ISBN, page 137:

     Breeders have figured out that if they can take one haploid set of chromosomes from a cross and copy it (or double it creating a double haploid), they will have a pure line almost instantly.

2. Ellipsis of breeder reactor; a type of nuclear reactor that creates more fissile material than it consumes, often used for the production of atomic weapons.
3. (cellular automata) A pattern that exhibits quadratic growth by generating multiple copies of a secondary pattern, each of which then generates multiple copies of a tertiary pattern.
   • 1992 June 17, Bill Sharp, comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     I was wondering if anyone out there could mail me a base for MIT's 'breeder' - the one with 8? puffer trains forming glider-guns. I've seen in in a few books but can't seem to get it working ...

   • 2002 July 23, Owen Rees, “Wolfram and "general 2D simulators"”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     I later implemented an improved version of the algorithms on an Atari STe, this time the goal was to run the breeder, which it did at 2 gen/sec at the stage when the first glider gun has been assembled.

   • 2008 May 31, Dave Greene, “Life: B37/S23 - A Chaotic Universe.”, in comp.theory.cell-automata‎ (Usenet):

     A glider-emitting breeder pattern can probably also be constructed in this rule, which would out-radiate any chaotic pattern by a considerable margin.

4. (slang, derogatory) A person who has had or who is capable of having children; a person who is focussed on the rearing of their own children.
   • 1729, Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal:

     The number of souls in this kingdom being usually reckoned one million and a half, of these I calculate there may be about two hundred thousand couple whose wives are breeders; from which number I subtract thirty thousand couples who are able to maintain their own children, although I apprehend there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom; but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders.

5. (gay slang, derogatory) A heterosexual; i.e. one whose sexual intercourse can lead to breeding.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:heterosexual

   Since the breeders started coming here, you can never tell who likes cock.

   • 1979 August 18, Don Shewey, “Gay Spirit”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 5, page 4:

     When visiting gay friends but wishing to avoid any heterosexual passersby or dinner guests of said friends, one can always call ahead and inquire, "Are there breeders in your home?"

   • 1982, Armistead Maupin, Further Tales of the City, New York: Harper & Row, page 105:

     “Hey… what does a breeder know?”
     Michael grinned. “Where did you learn that word?”
     […] “One of the guys at Perry's,” replied Brian. “He said that's what the faggots call us.”

   • 1984 August 27, Steve Upstill, “The Kiss of Death”, in net.motss‎ (Usenet):

     What is this here natural/unnatural stuff, anyway? Seems like a rationalization to this breeder.

   • 2000, “Now Approaching... The Line”, in Queer as Folk, spoken by Brian Kinney (Gale Harold):

     Hey, you try spending an evening with some back-slapping breeder from out of town, smoking cigars, and talking about pussy.

   • 2010, Walter Lape, Alaska Waters, The Hudson Press, →ISBN:

     My father spoke in a quiet, measured voice that gradually increased in tempo and in volume, “Travis, suppose everyone at this table were gay except you, and I called you a trailer-trash breeder?”

• breeder on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• breeder reactor on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• breeder (cellular automaton) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Jonathon Green (2024) “breeder n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

• rebreed