In ancient Greek, either (i) a sub-specific group of domestic livestock with definable and identifiable external characteristics that enable it to be separated by visual appraisal from other similarly defined groups within the same species or (ii) a group of domestic livestock for which geographical and/or cultural separation from phenotypically similar groups has led to acceptance of its separate identity. cf breed at risk; breed not at risk; critical breed; critical-maintained breed; endangered-maintained breed.