'purebred' originates from the combination of 'pure' and 'bred', where 'pure' meant 'unmixed' and 'bred' referred to 'produced or raised'.

'purebred' evolved from the Middle English word 'bred', which meant 'to produce or raise', and eventually became the modern English word 'purebred'.

Initially, it meant 'produced from unmixed lineage', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.