breeder
UK[ˈbriːdə]US[ˈbriːdər]
n
a person who breeds animals or plants
n
a nuclear reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes
Morpheme Breakdown
breed
er
breed
to bring young to birth, hatch, cherish
er
Etymology
the word 'breeder' is a transparent english formation, combining the verb 'breed' with the agent suffix '-er'. the verb 'breed' itself has old english origins, from 'brēdan', which carried meanings related to procreation, hatching, and nurturing. this root is part of the germanic family, ultimately traceable to the proto-indo-european base bʰreh₁- meaning "to warm, heat, incubate". the semantic evolution moved from the physical act of incubation and bringing forth life to the more controlled and selective practice of animal and plant husbandry. thus, a 'breeder' literally means "one who breeds", directly inheriting this logic of controlled propagation from its constituent parts.
Analysis
Structure: breed + er
breed (from old english 'brēdan', meaning "to bring young to birth, hatch, cherish") + er (from old english '-ere', an agent noun suffix indicating "one who does something").
Examples
she is a professional dog breeder known for her healthy and well-tempered spaniels.
the farmer worked as a cattle breeder for over thirty years.
the experimental fast breeder reactor was designed to create more plutonium than it used.