What does mongrelizing mean?
Mongrelizing means making or producing a mongrel, most literally by crossing different breeds of dog. The historical use of the verb centers on animal breeding: a person might mongrelize dogs to combine qualities from separate breeds, such as endurance, speed, or resistance to disease. In figurative use, it describes the blending of distinct breeds, cultural traditions, artistic methods, or other types into a mixed whole. The word is uncommon, particularly outside British English, and its figurative applications can sound dated or informal. It also warrants care because “mongrel,” from which it is formed, has long been used both neutrally for a dog of mixed ancestry and as a derogatory term for a person perceived to be of supposedly inferior ancestry. Consequently, the literal historical sense is the clearest and safest context in which to understand and use the verb.
verbTo make or produce a mongrel, especially by crossbreeding different breeds of dog. The verb is now uncommon and is sometimes used figuratively for the mixing of distinct breeds, types, or traditions.
- To create a mongrel by crossbreeding dogs.
- To blend different breeds, kinds, or traditions into a mixed form.
"The breeder mongrelized several hunting dogs to create a strain with greater endurance."
"Farmers mongrelized local dogs to develop animals suited to harsh conditions."
"The modern cuisine mongrelizes techniques borrowed from several regional traditions."
A word for the deliberate blending of lineages, “mongrelizing” also carries the uneasy history of the term “mongrel” itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mongrelizing come from?
The word is formed from “mongrel” and the verb-forming suffix “-ize,” meaning “to make into” or “to treat as.” “Mongrel” is an old English noun for a dog of mixed breed and later came to be applied contemptuously to people, a development that gives the derived verb an offensive historical association.
Related word forms
How mongrelizing is actually used
The verb is uncommon and is chiefly associated with British English. In its literal use it concerns dog breeding; figurative uses may sound dated, informal, or occasionally derogatory, especially because the associated term “mongrel” can be used as an insult.