definitions

war-horse

[ wawr-hawrs ]
/ ˈwɔrˌhɔrs /
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR war-horse ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a horse used in war; charger.
Informal. a veteran, as a soldier or politician, of many struggles and conflicts.
a musical composition, play, etc., that has been seen, heard, or performed excessively.

Nearby words

war room, war story, war surplus, war whoop, war zone, war-horse, war-weary, war., waragi, warangal, waratah

Origin of war-horse

First recorded in 1645–55; war1 + horse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Culture definitions for war horse

war horse

A person or thing that has seen long service or has lived through many hardships and can be relied on: “That teacher is a real war horse; he has seen the dismissal of ten different principals.”

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with war horse

war horse

Also, old war horse. A dependable, frequently performed attraction, as in The opera company is doing nothing but old war horses this season, like, Aïda and La Bohème. This term originated in the mid-1600s for a military charger that had been through many battles. In the 1800s it began to be used for human veterans, and in the mid-1900s for popular productions, especially of musical works.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.