'crossbreed' originates from the combination of 'cross' and 'breed', where 'cross' meant 'to mix' and 'breed' meant 'to produce offspring'.

'crossbreed' evolved from the Old English word 'bredan', meaning 'to produce offspring', combined with 'cross', indicating a mixture.

Initially, it meant 'to produce offspring by mixing breeds', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.