broed

Broed is a Dutch term connected to incubation and breeding. Derived from the verb broeden (to brood, to incubate, to hatch), the noun form broed is used in several closely related senses. In biological and agricultural contexts, broed commonly refers to the period or the state in which eggs are kept warm to develop, as well as to the embryos or young produced from eggs. In ornithology and poultry farming, the brood is the set of eggs laid in a nest and the offspring that hatch from them, collectively described as the brood.

In everyday usage, broed can denote the outcome of incubation: the young birds or animals that emerge from the eggs after the incubation process. The term is often encountered in discussions of hatching, poultry husbandry, and wildlife biology, where attention is paid to incubation temperature, duration, and care. The concept also appears in metaphorical language to describe environments that nurture development.

A common derivative is broedplaats, a term used in Dutch to describe a place that incubates or nurtures new ideas, projects, artists, or startups. In this sense, broedplaats functions as a breeding ground or incubator, emphasizing support, collaboration, and early-stage development rather than biological incubation alone. The word highlights a broader notion of fostering growth within a community or ecosystem.

See also: broeden, brood (ambiguous with bread), broederschap, broedplaats.