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.
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 Jockey Club, a thoroughbred registry and leading industry group, brought in consultants from McKinsey to help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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
He patted the boat as if it was a thoroughbred horse.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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
“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
This is Santa Anita,’” Balch, currently the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, recalled when meeting Denman for the first time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025
Members of the California Thoroughbred Trainers issued similar complaints in 2019.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 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
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.
