thoroughbred
adjective
of pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.
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thoroughbred
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Thoroughbred
Thoroughbrednouna British breed of horse the ancestry of which can be traced to English mares and Arab sires; most often used as a racehorse
thoroughbred
American
[thur-oh-bred, -uh-bred, thuhr-]
/ ˈθɜr oʊˌbrɛd, -əˌbrɛd, ˈθʌr- /
adjective
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of pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the Thoroughbred breed of horses.
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(of a person) having good breeding or education.
noun
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(initial capital letter) one of a breed of horses, to which all racehorses belong, originally developed in England by crossing Arabian stallions with European mares.
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a thoroughbred animal.
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a well-bred or well-educated person.
thoroughbred
1
British
/ ˈθʌrəˌbrɛd /
adjective
noun
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a pedigree animal; purebred
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a person regarded as being of good breeding
Thoroughbred
2
British
/ ˈθʌrəˌbrɛd /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thoroughbred
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Berlin Philharmonic’s reputation as a thoroughbred among orchestras is in no danger of faltering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
A nation will be hoping he's still smiling in the wake of their opener against Haiti, Scotland's first World Cup game since the great thoroughbred in their midfield was barely out of nappies.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Shoemaker moved into thoroughbred training after he stopped riding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2026
The franchise took its first step toward that when it agreed to spend nearly $200 million for a property that used to host Arlington Park, a thoroughbred racetrack in Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
He patted the boat as if it was a thoroughbred horse.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
“If I have the right horse, I’ll continue to run in Baltimore every May, as well as in The Thoroughbred Series,” Baffert posted on X.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
Michael McCarthy trained Journalism for an ownership group headed by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which paid $825,000 for him as a yearling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“It’s sort of an extended Christmas gift or bonus,” said Wellman, who founded and runs Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns Santa Anita Derby and Preakness winner Journalism, among dozens of other horses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2025
“Journalism has been grand since the Kentucky Derby and trainer Michael McCarthy has greenlighted him to head to Pimlico for the 150th Preakness,” controlling owners Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners posted on X on Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2025
“It looked,” wrote Thoroughbred Record correspondent Barry Whitehead, “like the Oklahoma landrush.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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