war horse

Cultural  

1. 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.”

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war horse Idioms  

1. 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.

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Example Sentences

Cast in 1633 by French sculptor Hubert Le Sueur, the bronze was designed to massage Charles’ ego, elevating his short stature atop an imposing war horse.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2023

And then there’s Netflix, which paid for its advertisements and rode its war horse, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” to four mostly technical awards.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2023

And the old war horse Bas Dost, who has been around longer than time itself, is on for Lang.

From The Guardian • Nov. 3, 2021

While the former vice president is obviously a war horse, the mayor of South Bend is the epitome of the kind of fresh face who fascinates the press.

From Fox News • May 3, 2019

No-one would stop or question a groom in fine clothes leading a war horse and a lady's saddle horse down to the river, and Lasaraleen had plenty of grooms to send.

From "The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis

Related Words

• old-timer