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breeding ground

/ˌbridɪŋ ˈgraʊnd/
/ˈbridɪŋ graʊnd/
IPA guide

Other forms: breeding grounds

Many wild animals return to the same place every year to breed: this is called a breeding ground.

Animals that migrate may travel hundreds of miles over the course of a year, coming back to a breeding ground to reproduce and give birth to babies. Sea turtles crawl onto the beach, their breeding ground, to lay eggs; and polar bears use breeding grounds on solidly frozen pack ice. You can also use the phrase in a figurative way, to mean a rich or fertile environment — you might call Austin, Texas a breeding ground for new music.

Definitions of breeding ground
  1. noun
    a place where animals breed
    see moresee less
    types:
    pesthole
    a breeding ground for epidemic disease
    rookery
    a breeding ground for gregarious birds (such as rooks)
    heronry
    a breeding ground for herons; a heron rookery
    type of:
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