hybrid

English

Etymology

From Latin hybrida, a variant of hibrida (“a mongrel; specifically, offspring of a tame sow and a wild boar”). Attested since 1601, but rare before c. 1850.

Pronunciation

• enPR: hī'brĭd, IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪ.bɹɪd/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪbɹɪd

Noun

hybrid (plural hybrids)

2. (biology) Offspring resulting from cross-breeding different entities, e.g. two different species or two purebred parent strains.

   Synonyms: bastard, crossbreed, mixing

   • 1859 November 24, Charles Darwin, “Variation under Domestication”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 26:

     Lastly, the hybrids or mongrels from between all the domestic breeds of pigeons are perfectly fertile.

3. Something of mixed origin or composition; often, a tool or technology that combines the benefits of formerly separate tools or technologies.
   2. A hybrid vehicle, especially a car; a vehicle that runs on both fuel (gasoline or diesel) and electricity (battery or energy from the sun).
      • 2025 November 18, Reed Stevenson, “Toyota Lays Out $912 Million Plan to Boost US Hybrid Production”, in Bloomberg News‎^[1]:

        Toyota Motor Corp. detailed plans to invest $912 million to increase output of hybrid components and vehicles across five states, part of a broader $10 billion commitment in the US over the next five years. Factories in West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri will see 252 new jobs as a result of the initiative, the world’s biggest carmaker said in a statement. The move underscores Toyota’s bet that hybrids will dominate US sales in the near term as consumers balk at high EV prices following the end of tax credits. The investment may also strengthen the Japanese carmaker’s foothold in the market as Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and other US carmakers scale back EV ambitions and revisit hybrid strategies to meet shifting demand and emissions targets.

   4. (computing) A computer that is part analog computer and part digital computer.
   6. (cycling) A bicycle that is a compromise between a road bike and a mountain bike.
   7. (electronics) An electronic circuit constructed of individual devices bonded to a substrate or PCB.
   8. (golf) A golf club that combines the characteristics of an iron and a wood.
   10. (linguistics) A word that is internally macaronic, its elements being derived from different languages.

Derived terms

• biohybrid
• cybrid
• derivative hybrid
• dihybrid
• etymological hybrid
• F1 hybrid
• F2 hybrid
• hybridal
• hybridase
• hybriding
• hybridisation / hybridization
• hybridise / hybridize
• hybridism
• hybridist
• hybridlike
• hybridness
• hybridogenesis
• hybridogenetic
• hybridogenic
• hybridogenous
• hybridoma
• microhybrid
• monohybrid
• nanohybrid
• neohybrid
• nonhybrid
• organohybrid
• polyhybrid
• quadrihybrid
• resonance hybrid
• tribrid
• trihybrid

Translations

biology: offspring resulting from crossbreeding

• Arabic: هَجِين m (hajīn)
• Armenian: հիբրիդ (hy) (hibrid)
• Belarusian: гібры́д m (hibrýd)
• Bulgarian: кръсто́ска f (krǎstóska), хибри́д m (hibríd)
• Catalan: híbrid (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雜種 / 杂种 (zh) (zázhǒng)

• Czech: kříženec (cs) m
• Danish: krydsning c, hybrid c
• Dutch: kruising (nl), hybride (nl) m
• Esperanto: krucbredulo, hibrido
• Finnish: hybridi (fi), risteytys (fi)
• French: hybride (fr) m or f
• Galician: híbrido (gl) m
• Georgian: ჰიბრიდი (ka) (hibridi), ნაჯვარი (naǯvari), ჯიშნარევი (ǯišnarevi)
• German: Blendling m, Mischling (de) m, Kreuzling f, Kreuzung (de) f, Bastard (de) m, Hybride (de) f, Hybride (de) m, Hybrid (de) m
• Greek: υβρίδιο (el) n (yvrídio)
• Hebrew: בֶּן תַּעֲרוֹבֶת m (ben ta'aróvet)
• Indonesian: hibrida (id), blasteran (id)
• Irish: hibrid f, cros-síolrach m
• Italian: ibrido (it) m, incrocio (it) m, meticcio (it) m
• Japanese: 雑種 (ja) (ざっしゅ, zasshu)
• Korean: 잡종(雜種) (ko) (japjong)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: dureg (ku)

• Latin: hybrida f, hybridus m
• Malay: kacukan
• Maori: momorua
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: эрлийз (mn) (erliiz)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hybrid (no) m

  Nynorsk: hybrid m

• Polish: hybryda (pl) f, krzyżówka (pl) f, mieszaniec (pl) m
• Portuguese: híbrido (pt) m
• Romanian: hibrid (ro) m
• Russian: гибри́д (ru) m (gibríd), по́месь (ru) f (pómesʹ)
• Sicilian: ìbbritu m
• Spanish: híbrido (es) m
• Swedish: hybrid (sv) c, korsning (sv) c, blandras (sv) c
• Ukrainian: гібри́д m (hibrýd)
• Vietnamese: tạp chủng (vi) (雜種)
• Welsh: croesryw m

something of mixed origin

• Arabic: هَجِين m (hajīn)
• Armenian: հիբրիդ (hy) (hibrid), խառնածին (hy) (xaṙnacin)
• Bulgarian: хибри́д m (hibríd)
• Catalan: híbrid (ca) m
• Czech: hybrid (cs) m
• Danish: hybrid c
• Dutch: hybride (nl) m
• Finnish: hybridi (fi), risteymä (fi), sekamuoto
• Galician: híbrido (gl) m
• Georgian: ჰიბრიდი (ka) (hibridi)
• Indonesian: hibrida (id), campuran (id)
• Italian: ibrido (it) m
• Latin: hybrida f, hybridus m
• Malay: kacukan, hibrid (ms)
• Maori: momorua
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: hybrid (no) m

  Nynorsk: hybrid m

• Polish: hybryda (pl) f
• Portuguese: híbrido (pt) m
• Russian: гибри́д (ru) m (gibríd), по́месь (ru) f (pómesʹ)
• Spanish: híbrido (es) m
• Swedish: hybrid (sv) c

word derived from different languages

• Catalan: híbrid (ca) m
• Dutch: hybridisch woord n
• French: hybride (fr) m or f
• Galician: híbrido (gl) m
• German: Bastardwort (de) n, Hybridwort n, hybrides Wort n, Mischwort n, Zwitterwort n; Vox hybrida f, vox hybrida f (often printed in antiqua when using fraktur or printed in italics when using antiqua)
• Italian: ibrido (it) m
• Latin: vox hybrida f (New Latin)
• Polish: hybryda (pl) f
• Russian: гибри́д (ru) m (gibríd)

car that runs on both fuel and electricity

• Bulgarian: хибри́д m (hibríd)
• Catalan: híbrid (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 混合動力汽車 / 混合动力汽车 (hùnhé dònglì qìchē)

• Danish: hybrid c
• Dutch: (auto/ wagen etc.) hybride (nl)
• Finnish: hybridi (fi), hybridiauto (fi)
• Galician: híbrido (gl) m
• German: Hybridfahrzeug n
• Latin: autocinetum materiae propulsoriae miscellae n
• Polish: samochód hybrydowy m, hybryda (pl) f
• Portuguese: híbrido (pt) m
• Swedish: hybrid (sv) c

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} هَجِين m (hajīn)
• Italian: (4) ^{(please verify)} ibrido (it) m
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} mešanac (sh) m, ^{(please verify)} mešanka (sh) f

Adjective

hybrid (comparative more hybrid, superlative most hybrid)

1. Of or composed of mixed origin or composition.

   a hybrid mix of jazz and punk

   • 1859 November 24, Charles Darwin, “Variation under Domestication”, in On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 26:

     Now, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to bring forward one case of the hybrid offspring of two animals clearly distinct being themselves perfectly fertile.

3. Of a car, running on both fuel (gasoline or diesel) and electricity (battery or energy from the sun).
   • 2022, N. K. Jemisin, The World We Make, Orbit, page 270:

     Brooklyn has opted for hybrid SUVs, at least, to show environmental consciousness.

4. (animation) Involving both 2D and 3D animation.

Derived terms

• hybrid bill
• hybrid car
• hybrid computer
• hybrid cycle track
• hybrid diaper
• hybrid disgenesis
• hybrid electric vehicle
• hybrid embryo
• hybridicity
• hybrid image
• hybrid immunity
• hybridisation / hybridization
• hybridise / hybridize
• hybridism
• hybridity
• hybrid learning
• hybridly
• hybrid meson
• hybrid monkey
• hybrid nappy
• hybridness
• hybrid offence
• hybrid open access
• hybrid orbital
• hybrid perpetual
• hybrid reality
• hybrid regime
• hybrid rocket
• hybrid saw
• hybrid sleep
• hybrid speciation
• hybrid tea / hybrid tea rose
• hybrid teaching
• hybrid vigor
• hybrid vigour
• hybrid war
• hybrid warfare
• hybrid wave function
• hybrid worker
• hybrid working
• nonhybrid
• tribrid

Translations

consisting of diverse components

• Armenian: հիբրիդային (hy) (hibridayin)
• Asturian: híbridu
• Belarusian: гібры́дны (hibrýdny)
• Bulgarian: хибри́ден (hibríden)
• Catalan: híbrid (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 混血 (zh) (hùnxuè, hùnxuě, hùnxiě)

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} hybridisch (nl), ^{(please verify)} hybride- (nl) , ^{(please verify)} gehybridiseerd (nl), ^{(please verify)} gekruisd
• Finnish: sekamuotoinen
• French: hybride (fr) m or f
• Galician: híbrido (gl) m
• Georgian: ჰიბრიდული (hibriduli)
• German: hybrid (de)
• Hebrew: כלאיים \ כִּלְאַיִם (he) du (kil'áyim)
• Irish: hibrideach, cros-síolrach, croschineálach
• Italian: ibrido (it)
• Latin: bigener (la), miscellus
• Polish: hybrydowy (pl), mieszany (pl)
• Portuguese: híbrido (pt)
• Russian: гибри́дный (ru) (gibrídnyj)
• Spanish: híbrido (es)
• Turkish: melez (tr)
• Ukrainian: гібри́дний (hibrýdnyj)
• Welsh: croesryw

Related terms

• hybrida

See also

• transgenic
• cultivar

References

• hybrid, page 216, chapter: A Miscegenation Vocabulary in Interracialism, Terms from the Oxford English Dictionary, book: Black White Intermarriage in American History, Literature and Law, Edited by Werner Sollor, Oxford University Press, 2000 [2]
• “hybrid”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “hybrid”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “hybrid”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Danish

Etymology

From Latin hybrida.

Noun

hybrid c (singular definite hybriden, plural indefinite hybrider)

1. (biology) a hybrid
2. (figuratively) a hybrid (mix of things)

   Synonym: blanding

   1. (automotive) a hybrid vehicle

Declension

Declension of hybrid

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	hybrid	hybriden	hybrider	hybriderne
genitive	hybrids	hybridens	hybriders	hybridernes

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin hybrida.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hy.ˈbʁiːt/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Adjective

hybrid (strong nominative masculine singular hybrider, not comparable)

1. (biology) hybrid

Derived terms

• hybrider Krieg

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin hibrida.

Noun

hybrid m (definite singular hybriden, indefinite plural hybrider, definite plural hybridene)

1. a hybrid

References

• “hybrid” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin hibrida.

Noun

hybrid m (definite singular hybriden, indefinite plural hybridar, definite plural hybridane)

1. a hybrid

References

• “hybrid” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from French hybride, from Latin hybrida, influenced by Ancient Greek ὕβρις (húbris).

Noun

hybrid c

1. (biology) a hybrid
2. (figuratively) a hybrid (mix of things)

   Synonym: blandning

   1. (automotive) a hybrid vehicle

Declension

Declension of hybrid

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	hybrid	hybrids
	definite	hybriden	hybridens
plural	indefinite	hybrider	hybriders
	definite	hybriderna	hybridernas

Adjective

hybrid (not comparable)

1. (biology) hybrid
2. (figuratively) hybrid (of mixed origin or composition)

Usage notes

The singular indefinite neuter is avoided according to the references, but "hybrit" is what would intuitively be expected (and is attested).

Declension

Inflection of hybrid

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	hybrid	—	—
neuter singular	hybrit	—	—
plural	hybrida	—	—
masculine plural2	hybride	—	—
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	hybride	—	—
all	hybrida	—	—

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

References

• hybrid in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• hybrid in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• hybrid in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• hybrid in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)