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:
For the second time in as many weeks, a leading California-based thoroughbred has been retired.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Over the past two years, Johnson has become a minority owner of multiple horses, including Sandman, a $1.2 million, dappled gray thoroughbred who competed in last year’s Derby.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
He received 100 thoroughbred horses and a Lexus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 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
Like a well-trained thoroughbred, I steadily pulled away from the pack.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
“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
The Thoroughbred Championship Series will feature a points system, with horses who compete in at least four races eligible to share a $5-million bonus pool that will pay down to the top eight finishers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 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
He no longer is ranked among the top 10 older horses in the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn. weekly poll.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Giannini saw Howard rekindling his lost love of horses and thought he should stop dabbling and commit himself fully to Thoroughbred racing.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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