half-breed
Slur for biracial
Half-breed is an offensive term for a person of mixed racial ancestry, particularly someone with one white and one Indigenous American parent.
The word reduces human identity to animal breeding terminology, which is why it stings.
It appears frequently in old Westerns and frontier literature: The half-breed scout led them through the canyon.
Some people of mixed heritage have reclaimed the term, but in general usage it remains a slur.
Having two racial ancestries
- multiracialOf multiple ethnicities
- mixed-raceOf multiple ancestries
- ancestryFamily line of descent
- lineageDescent from progenitors
ethnicity · descent · mestizo · mulatto · Eurasian · Creole · mixed-blood · roots
Mate across varieties
- mongrelDog of mixed ancestry
- crossPass from side to side
- muleEquine hybrid, often sterile
- hinnyMale horse, female donkey
liger · tigon · hybrid · interspecies · outcross · blend · mix · composite
Term expressing disapproval
- derogatoryExpressing criticism or disrespect
- epithetDescriptive tag for someone
- insultOffensive remark or action
- mongrelDog of mixed ancestry
mixed-blood · offensive · outdated · colonial · degrading · othering · racialized
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- ostracismBanishment from a group
- marginalizationRelegation to powerless periphery
exclusion · othering · alienation · stereotyping · in-between · neither-nor · belonging · passing
biracial
Having two racial ancestries
- multiracialOf multiple ethnicities
- mixed-raceOf multiple ancestries
- ancestryFamily line of descent
lineage · ethnicity · descent · mestizo · mulatto · Eurasian · Creole · mixed-blood · roots · parentage
interbreed
Mate across varieties
hinny · liger · tigon · hybrid · interspecies · outcross · blend · mix · composite · amalgam
pejorative
Term expressing disapproval
- derogatoryExpressing criticism or disrespect
- epithetDescriptive tag for someone
- insultOffensive remark or action
mongrel · mixed-blood · offensive · outdated · colonial · degrading · othering · racialized
discrimination
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- bigotryIntolerance toward differing views
- ostracismBanishment from a group
marginalization · exclusion · othering · alienation · stereotyping · in-between · neither-nor · belonging · passing · colorism
- hybridshybrid car, crossbred, mule, hybrid cars, tigon
- mixturesmix, mixture, blend, blending, amalgam
- Mixed Heritagemixed-race, multiracial, biracial, mixed heritage, mixed ancestry
half-breedpurebred
Of single breed ancestry
pureblood · full-blooded · thoroughbred · full-blood · pureblooded
half-breedaristocrat
Person of noble birth
noble · blueblood · patrician · highborn · legitimate
half, breed, breeding, bred, halves, halve, breeder, inbred, purebred