brood

Meanings

Noun

• The young of certain animals, especially a group of young birds or fowl hatched at one time by the same mother.
• The young of any egg-laying creature, especially if produced at the same time.
• 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.
• The children in one family; offspring.
• That which is bred or produced; breed; species.
• Parentage.
• Heavy waste in tin and copper ores.

Adjective

• Kept or reared for breeding, said of animals.

Verb

• To keep an egg warm to make it hatch.
• To protect (something that is gradually maturing); to foster.
• (typically with about or over) To dwell upon moodily and at length, mainly alone.
• To be bred.

Origin

• 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").