Standard Lemma guide

half-breed

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

having dual heritage; having mixed racial parentage or ancestry

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, derogatory, offensive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Hybridized; having one purebred parent; descended from parents of different breeds or with different traits

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A person of mixed racial parentage or ancestry, especially one of mixed white and American Indian parentage (metis, métis, Metis, Métis; mestizo).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated, derogatory, ethnic, offensive, slur

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A hybrid animal or plant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A member of the Half-Breeds, a former Republican political party during the Gilded Age.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

(of animals) having only one purebred parent

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: half-blooded, half-bred

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

an offensive term for an offspring of parents of different races (especially of Caucasian and American Indian ancestry)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: half-caste

History

Etymology

From half- + breed.

From half-breed, half- + breed.

Across languages

Translations

56 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: mestiza — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • French: métis — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • German: Mischlings- — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • Ido: mestica — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • Italian: meticcio — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • Polish: mieszany — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • Spanish: mestizo — having one purebred parent; hybrid; of mixed racial parentage or ancestry
  • Armenian: խառնածին (xaṙnacin) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Armenian: մետիս (metis) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Belarusian: паўкро́вак (pawkróvak) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Belarusian: паўкро́ўка (pawkrówka) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Belarusian: меты́с (mjetýs) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Belarusian: меты́ска (mjetýska) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Bulgarian: ме́лез (mélez) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Cheyenne: tsêhésevé'ho'e — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Chinese: 半仿仔 (pòan-hóng-á) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Chinese Mandarin: 混血兒 /混血儿 (hùnxuè'ér, hùnxuě'ér, hùnxiě'ér) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Esperanto: mestizo — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Esperanto: mestizino — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Finnish: puoliverinen — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • French: métis — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • French: métisse — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • German: Mischling — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • German: Bastard — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • German: Halbblut — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • German: Mestize — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • German: Métis — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Hebrew: בֶּן תַּעֲרוֹבֶת (ben ta'aróvet) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Hungarian: félvér — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ido: mestico — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ido: mesticulo — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ido: mesticino — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Italian: meticcio — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Italian: meticcia — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Japanese: 混血児 (konketsuji) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Japanese: 間の子 (ainoko) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Korean: 혼혈 (honhyeol) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Korean: 혼혈아 (honhyeora) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Kumyk: япсар (yapsar) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Latin: hibrida — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Latin: mixtīcius — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Mongolian: эрлийз (erliiz) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Polish: mieszaniec — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Russian: полукро́вка (polukróvka) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Russian: мети́с (metís) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Russian: мети́ска (metíska) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Spanish: mestizo — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Spanish: mestiza — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Swedish: halvblod — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ukrainian: напівкро́вок (napivkróvok) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ukrainian: напівкро́вка (napivkróvka) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ukrainian: мети́с (metýs) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Ukrainian: мети́ска (metýska) — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Volapük: mestit — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Volapük: himestit — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry
  • Volapük: jimestit — derogatory: person of racially mixed ancestry