Illustration of thoroughbred
- Thoroughbred
thor·ough·bred
ˈthər-ə-ˌbred 
ˈthə-rə-
1
: bred from the best blood through a long line : purebred
thoroughbred dogs
2
a
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a Thoroughbred horse
b
: having characteristics resembling those of a Thoroughbred
3
: thoroughly trained or skilled
a thoroughbred soldier
1
: a purebred or pedigreed animal
2
capitalized
: any of an English breed of light speedy horses kept chiefly for racing that originated from crosses between English mares of uncertain ancestry and Arabian stallions
3
: a thoroughly educated or skilled person
Synonyms
Examples of thoroughbred in a Sentence
Adjective
a thoroughbred dog
Recent Examples on the Web
Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2024
The major British social event kicked off Tuesday, June 18, 2024, and features five days of thoroughbred horse racing, tradition, pomp and, of course, fashion.
—Joanna Moriello, New York Daily News, 18 June 2024
Sorcha Bradley, The Week Uk, theweek, 18 June 2024
The racers will compete for a $2 million purse in the 156th such race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds, which began in 1867.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for thoroughbred 
Adjective
The legendary Calumet Farm dominated thoroughbred racing under founding owner William Monroe Wright (1924-32) and his son Warren Wright Sr. (1932-50) and Warren’s daughter, Lucille Parker Wright Markey (1950-82).
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 1 May 2024
The major British social event kicked off Tuesday, June 18, 2024, and features five days of thoroughbred horse racing, tradition, pomp and, of course, fashion.
—Joanna Moriello, New York Daily News, 18 June 2024
Noun
Several studies have concluded that thoroughbreds may have reached their biological speed limits, but not all scientists agree.
—Sorcha Bradley, The Week Uk, theweek, 18 June 2024
The racers will compete for a $2 million purse in the 156th such race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds, which began in 1867.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for thoroughbred
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thoroughbred.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near thoroughbred
Cite this Entry
“Thoroughbred.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thoroughbred. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
thoroughbred
1 of 2 adjective
thor·ough·bred
ˈthər-ə-ˌbred
ˈthə-rə-
1
: bred from the best stock through a long line : purebred
thoroughbred dogs
2
capitalized
: of, relating to, or being a Thoroughbred horse
thoroughbred
2 of 2 noun1
: a purebred or pedigreed animal
2
capitalized
: any of an English breed of light speedy horses kept chiefly for racing
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