brood
brood — adjective
- broodpositive
- broodercomparative
- broodestsuperlative
1. kept specifically for producing young rather than for giving milk, laying eggs,
kept specifically for producing young rather than for giving milk, laying eggs, pulling loads, or other purposes
The farmer keeps a brood mare for breeding champion racehorses.
collocation: brood mare / brood hen / brood cow
A good brood hen can hatch and raise over a dozen chicks each spring.
The ranch sold its best brood cows at the autumn auction for top prices.
The Okafor family keeps a small flock of brood sheep to preserve the rare heritage breed.
- breeding
broader term — 'breeding stock' can refer to both males and females, while 'brood' is usually limited to females
文法句型
brood + noun (animal type)
用法筆記
Only used before a noun that names a species or type of livestock — attributive position is required.
常見錯誤
brood — noun
- broodsingular
- broodsplural
1. a group of baby birds or other very young animals that were born to the same par
a group of baby birds or other very young animals that were born to the same parents and are cared for together
The robin fed her brood of three hungry chicks in the nest under the eaves.
a brood of + young birds
A brood of ducklings followed their mother across the pond in a single-file line.
The farmer checked on the new brood of piglets sleeping in the straw near their mother.
Mama fox moved her brood to a safer den after the storm destroyed the old one.
Each spring the swan couple raises a new brood of cygnets on the lake.
文法句型
a brood of + plural noun
常見錯誤
2. a humorous or slightly old-fashioned way to refer to a particular family's child
a humorous or slightly old-fashioned way to refer to a particular family's children, especially when there are several of them
Santiago loaded his entire brood into the minivan for a weekend trip to the beach.
informal: 'his entire brood' for a family's children
Grandma Fatima always had a huge pot of stew ready when her brood came to visit.
The Tanaka brood includes four boys who all play soccer for the school team.
Priya's brood gathered around the dinner table every evening to share stories from school.
The whole brood helped their parents pack boxes before the move to a bigger house.
文法句型
possessive + brood
用法筆記
Almost always appears with a possessive (my, her, the Smiths', the whole) and carries a warm, slightly teasing tone. Avoid in formal writing.
常見錯誤
brood — verb
- broodpresent simple I / you / we / they
- broodshe / she / it
- broodedpast simple
- brooding-ing form
1. to keep thinking for a long time about something that makes you feel sad, worrie
to keep thinking for a long time about something that makes you feel sad, worried, or angry, without finding a way to feel better or solve the problem
After failing the driving test, Jun brooded alone in his room all weekend.
brood + alone / in [location]: typical pattern
Wei brooded over his manager's harsh comments throughout his entire commute home.
brood over + something said (criticism, comment)
Instead of brooding about the mistake, Olga decided to call a friend and ask for advice.
Kwame sat by the window and brooded about the argument with his best friend all evening.
The more Dmitri brooded on his failure, the worse his mood became.
- dwell on
similar meaning but can refer to neutral topics; 'brood' is always gloomy
- fret
implies nervous worry about small things; 'brood' feels heavier and darker
- mope
adds a sense of sluggish, visible sadness; 'brood' is more internal and mental
- ruminate
formal, can be neutral or positive; 'brood' is always negative
- cheer up
opposite emotional direction — moving away from gloom
文法句型
brood + over/about/on + noun phrase
用法筆記
Unlike neutral verbs like 'think' or 'consider', 'brood' implies that the thinking is repetitive, gloomy, and unproductive. The object is always something negative or upsetting.
常見錯誤
2. (of a bird) to sit on a nest of eggs to keep them warm so that the young will de
(of a bird) to sit on a nest of eggs to keep them warm so that the young will develop and break out of the shells
The hen brooded her eggs for three weeks before the chicks began to hatch.
transitive: brood + eggs
A pair of blue jays is brooding in the nest above the porch of the old house.
intransitive: [bird] + is brooding
The mother penguin brooded her single egg through the long, dark Antarctic winter.
In early spring, the swan broods her eggs on a large mound of reeds by the lake.
文法句型
brood (eggs)
用法筆記
Transitive (brood + eggs) is most common in formal writing; intransitive (a bird broods) is used in ornithological and general contexts.
常見錯誤
3. to hang over or surround a place in a dark, silent, or threatening way, creating
to hang over or surround a place in a dark, silent, or threatening way, creating a tense or oppressive atmosphere
Dark storm clouds brooded over the mountain village all afternoon before the rain came.
natural phenomenon + broods over + place
A heavy silence brooded in the empty house after the last mourner had left.
The old castle brooded on the cliff above the valley, casting a long shadow over the town.
文法句型
[dark / stormy / silent noun] + broods + over/above [place]
用法筆記
This is a literary or poetic sense. The subject is typically something dark, silent, or vast (clouds, a castle, a forest, silence, mystery). Avoid in everyday conversation.