breeder

Etymology

breed + -er.

noun

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, page 137
2. Ellipsis of breeder reactor; a type of nuclear reactor that creates more fissile material than it consumes, often used for the production of atomic weapons.
3. (cellular automata) 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 a few books but can't seem to get it working ... 1992-06-17, 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. 2002-07-23, Owen Rees, “Wolfram and "general 2D simulators"”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)
   A glider-emitting breeder pattern can probably also be constructed in this rule, which would out-radiate any chaotic pattern by a considerable margin. 2008-05-31, Dave Greene, “Life: B37/S23 - A Chaotic Universe.”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)
4. (slang, derogatory) A person who has had or who is capable of having children; a person who is focussed 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 there cannot be so many, under the present distresses of the kingdom; but this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. 1729, Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
5. (gay slang, derogatory) A heterosexual; i.e. one whose sexual intercourse can lead to breeding.
   Since the breeders started coming here, you can never tell who likes cock.
   What is this here natural/unnatural stuff, anyway? Seems like a rationalization to this breeder. 27 Aug 84, Steve Upstill, “The Kiss of Death”, in net.motss (Usenet)
   Hey, you try spending an evening with some back-slapping breeder from out of town, smoking cigars, and talking about pussy. 2000, “Now Approaching... The Line”, in Queer as Folk, spoken by Brian Kinney (Gale Harold)
   My father spoke in a quiet, measured voice that gradually increased in tempo and in volume, “Travis, suppose everyone at this table were gay except you, and I called you a trailer-trash breeder?” 2010, Walter Lape, Alaska Waters, The Hudson Press