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brood

Pronunciation: /bɹuːd/

The English word “brood” has 13 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The young of certain animals, especially a group of young birds or fowl hatched at one time by the same mother.
  2. The young of any egg-laying creature, especially if produced at the same time.
  3. The eggs and larvae of social insects such as bees, ants and some wasps, especially when gathered together in special brood chambers or combs within the colony.
  4. The children in one family; offspring.
  5. That which is bred or produced; breed; species.
  6. Parentage.
  7. Heavy waste in tin and copper ores.
  8. A large number or crowd of people, animals, or objects.

adjective

  1. Kept or reared for breeding.

verb

  1. To keep an egg warm to make it hatch.
  2. To protect (something that is gradually maturing); to foster.
  3. (typically with over, on or about) To dwell upon one's thoughts moodily and at length, mainly alone.
  4. To be bred.

Etymology

From Middle English brood, brod, from Old English brōd (“brood; foetus; breeding, hatching”), from Proto-Germanic *brōduz (“heat, breeding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁- (“breath, mist, vapour, steam”).

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