breeder

Noun

breeder (plural breeders)

1. A person who breeds plants or animals (professionally).
   • 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.2016, Jayson Lusk, Unnaturally Delicious, →ISBN, page 137
2. 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.
   • 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^([sic]) a few books but can't seem to get it working ...1992 June 17, Bill Sharp, 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.2002 July 23, Owen Rees, “Wolfram and "general 2D simulators"”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)
3. (derogatory, slang) A person who has had or who is capable of having children; a person who is focused on the rearing of their own children.
   • 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...1729, Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
4. (derogatory, humorous, LGBTQ slang) A heterosexual person; one whose sexual intercourse can lead to breeding; straggot.
   • Since the breeders started coming here, you can never tell who likes cock.
   • 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?"1979 August 18, Don Shewey, “Gay Spirit”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 5, page 4
5. A 40-gallon fish tank, sometimes used to breed fish that is low in height and wide in length, typically measuring 36 inches long, 18 inches wide, and 16 inches high, making it and shallower than a typical 40-gallon aquarium.