'interbreed' originates from the Latin prefix 'inter-' and the Old English word 'brēdan', where 'inter-' meant 'between' and 'brēdan' meant 'to produce (offspring)'.

'interbreed' formed by combining the Latin prefix 'inter-' with the English verb 'breed' (from Old English 'brēdan'); the compound has been used in English since Modern English to describe breeding between groups.

Initially it literally combined 'between' + 'breed' to mean 'to breed between groups', and over time it has retained that core meaning of breeding across different groups or types.