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
Saturday, however, Gold Phoenix has a chance to separate himself from all but one other thoroughbred who has competed in North America.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 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
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
“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
“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
“Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners was the first outfit to send me horses and we’ve had a growing relationship ever since, a successful relationship,” McCarthy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
She was not as fast as an ostrich, or even a Derby-winning Thoroughbred, but still, when it came to being true hearted, Penelope knew she could not have chosen anyone better for the job.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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