of pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.
(sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the Thoroughbred breed of horses.
(of a person) having good breeding or education.
(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.
a thoroughbred animal.
a well-bred or well-educated person.
a pedigree animal; purebred
a person regarded as being of good breeding
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Sixth Circuit in December 2025 upheld the constitutionality of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a nonprofit that regulates thoroughbred racing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 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
Dale Romans, a thoroughbred racehorse trainer, has also made waves in the race since entering the primary in November, though no polling has been conducted that includes Romans.
From Salon ● Dec. 19, 2025
Older, and with questions about the make-up of their team, the hosts will find it harder to absorb the absence of two thoroughbred fast bowlers.
From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025
Penelope’s thoughts raced like a thoroughbred at the Epsom Derby.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
“Yeah, it’s pretty hard to believe that a horse like him hasn’t won a race in a year,” said Aron Wellman, managing director of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which co-owns the 4-year-old son of Curlin.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Both measures were opposed by Southern California tracks and the California Thoroughbred Trainers and the TOC.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 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
Members of the California Thoroughbred Trainers issued similar complaints in 2019.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2025
“It looked,” wrote Thoroughbred Record correspondent Barry Whitehead, “like the Oklahoma landrush.”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
