selective breeding
Pronunciation
Noun
B2 Upper-intermediate
Quick answer
The practice of choosing organisms with desirable traits to breed together so those traits appear more often in offspring.
Synonyms and antonyms
Synonyms
artificial selection
Antonyms
Usage notes
It speeds up a change that also happens naturally through evolution, but guided deliberately over far fewer generations.
Test yourself
Which word fits the gap? "_____ over many generations produced dogs as different as chihuahuas and great danes."
Answer: selective breeding
In your own words, what does "selective breeding" mean?
The practice of choosing organisms with desirable traits to breed together so those traits appear more often in offspring.
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