thoroughbred

American  

[thur-oh-bred, -uh-bred, thuhr-] / ˈθɜr oʊˌbrɛd, -əˌbrɛd, ˈθʌr- /

adjective

1. of pure or unmixed breed, stock, or lineage, as a horse or other animal; bred from the purest and best blood.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) of or relating to the Thoroughbred breed of horses.

3. (of a person) having good breeding or education.

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noun

1. (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.

2. a thoroughbred animal.

3. a well-bred or well-educated person.

thoroughbred ¹ British  

/ ˈθʌrəˌbrɛd /

adjective

1. purebred

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noun

1. a pedigree animal; purebred

2. a person regarded as being of good breeding

Thoroughbred ² British  

/ ˈθʌrəˌbrɛd /

noun

1. a British breed of horse the ancestry of which can be traced to English mares and Arab sires; most often used as a racehorse

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Other Word Forms

• thoroughbredness noun

Etymology

Origin of thoroughbred

First recorded in 1695–1705; thorough + bred

Example Sentences

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 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

He won his first thoroughbred race on Oct.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2025

A Meecham is a thoroughbred, a winner all the way.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• graded