half-blooded

/'hɑ:fblʌdid/

Thân thiện

The half-blooded foal stands close to its mother in a grassy paddock.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • (of animals) having only one purebred parent: Describes an animal that is the offspring of one purebred parent and one non-purebred parent, resulting in mixed ancestry within a specific breed context.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • The farmer decided to keep the half-blooded calf because it showed good resilience.
  • While not eligible for the purebred registry, the half-blooded horse was still very valuable for work.

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in animal husbandry, breeding, and pedigrees. It is a technical descriptor of lineage rather than a general synonym for "mixed-breed."
• It can sometimes carry a neutral to slightly informal tone compared to more formal terms like "crossbred" in certain contexts, though it is a standard term.

Variants and Related Words

• Half-blood (noun): An individual, especially an animal, that is half-blooded.
  • The litter included three purebreds and two half-bloods.
• Half-breed (noun, often offensive): A dated and now generally offensive term for a person of mixed racial ancestry. CRITICAL NOTE: This term is considered derogatory and should be avoided when referring to people. Its use is primarily historical or pejorative.

Synonyms

• Crossbred: Bred from parents of different breeds or varieties.
• Mixed-breed: Of mixed ancestry (a more general term).

Notes on Meaning and Usage

• The term "half-blooded" is specific and denotes a 50% lineage from a recognized purebred line. It is not a general term for any mixture.
• It is rarely, if ever, applied to people in modern English. Historical or literary uses referring to people are archaic and should be understood in their specific context. The appropriate modern terms are person-specific (e.g., biracial, multiracial).

Học thuật

Adjective

1. (of animals) having only one purebred parent

Từ đồng nghĩa

• half-bred
• half-breed