thoroughbredadj.n.

Brit.

/ˈθʌrəbrɛd/, U.S.

/ˈθərəˌbrɛd/,

/ˈθəroʊˌbrɛd/

Forms:

α. 1700s throughbred.

β. 1700s thorowbred, 1700s– thoroughbred, 1800s thoro'bred, 1800s thorobred.

Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: through- prefix, bred adj.¹, thorough- prefix.

Etymology: In α. forms < through- prefix + bred adj.¹ In β. forms < thorough- prefix + bred adj.¹It is unclear whether the original meaning is shown by sense A. 1 (i.e. with application to a person) or whether (in spite of the chronology of the attestations) this arose as a figurative application of sense A. 2a.

A. adj.

†1. Thoroughly educated or accomplished; complete, thorough, out-and-out. Obsolete except as merged in sense A. 3.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective] > utter or absolute > of a person or his character

utterc1420

complete1526

entirea1533

throughout1532

in grain?1577

consummate1603

essential1604

perfecta1616

thorough1625

thorough-paceda1628

thoroughbred1701

throughgoing1830

through and through1831

thorough-souled1842

ingrained1851

ingrain1865

1701 N. Grew Cosmol. Sacra ii. vii. §47 A through-bred Soldier, weighs all present Circumstances, and all possible Contingents.

?1719 M. Davies Athenæ Britannicæ VI. iii. 27 Nothing can well be thought more dismal and fatal for a thorough-bred Scholar and Proselyte-Author, than the unavoidable Necessity he finds himself in..to keep Company with vagrant pilfring Beggars at Doors.

1721 N. Amhurst Terræ-filius No. 47 (1754) 253 Nothing can restrain a thorough-bred gamester.

1876 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 2nd Ser. ii. 44 A thoroughbred utilitarian, full of sagacity.

1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. i. 20 He never handled a gun like a thoroughbred sportsman.

1928 Amer. Speech 4 41 Such an etymology is enough to make any thoroughbred philologist tear his hair in despair.

a. Originally: designating a horse of pure breed or stock. In later use chiefly: designating a horse of the thoroughbred breed (see sense B. 1a); of or relating to this breed.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > heredity or hereditary descent > [adjective] > descent from common ancestor

pure1569

truly1650

thoroughbred1719

thorough-blood1774

monogeneous1857

genetic1860

monogenous1866

homogenetic1870

homogenetical1870

homogenous1870

monophyletic1874

clean-bred1882

homodemic1883

homophylic1883

homosystemic1883

line-bred1891

synepigonic1904

cladistic1960

1719 London Gaz. 15 Sept. (advt.) A thorow bred Horse, made like a Spaniard and very well managed, of a very showish lofty Carriage.

1761 W. Osmer Treat. Dis. & Lameness Horses (new ed.) iii. iii. 282 My design is to shew, that the thorough-bred horse..is, for every purpose, far superior to him that is half-bred.

1796 J. Lawrence Philos. & Pract. Treat. Horses I. iv. 166 Thorough-bred hacks are the most docile and quiet, and the least liable to shy.

1825 N. H. Smith Breeding for Turf 5 The pedigree of Eclipse affords a singular illustration of the descent of our thorough-bred horses from pure Eastern blood.

1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 258 The term thorough-bred, as relating to a horse..is neither critically nor conventionally definite.

1877 R. H. Roberts Harry Holbrooke of Holbrooke Hall i. 21 Mounted upon a thoroughbred..bay mare.

1915 Lotus Mag. Nov. 66/2 From many types have partially or wholly been eradicated every trace of thoroughbred blood.

1968 Observer's Bk. Horses & Ponies (rev. ed.) 193 Horses of pure English thoroughbred stock as bred and developed in Poland.

1990 L. Lane & N. L. Andrews Malibu 90265 ii. 20 Bonnie Louise bounded up the spiral staircase, smiling at the portraits of thoroughbred horses.

2006 Daily Tel. 22 June 27/1 As a stud groom he had some of Britain's finest thoroughbred stallions in his care.

b. Of a domestic animal other than a horse: of pure breed or stock.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] > of livestock > kept for breeding > well-bred

gentle?a1300

true-bred1607

well-bred1607

racy1676

bred1710

high-bred1731

full-blood1764

full-blooded1784

thoroughbred1788

pure blood1818

toppy1893

straight-bred1898

straight1972

1788 Family Mag. Apr. 282/1 Friday last a young man, riding along Blackfriars-road, was attacked by a thorough-bred bull-dog, with all the fierceness peculiar to that animal.

1805 J. Lawrence Gen. Treat. Cattle 440 Saxony maintains 1,600,000 sheep, of which, 90,000 are fine woolled, including thorough bred and crossed.

1856 Farmer's Mag. Jan. 29 There are some men who prefer the cross-bred animal—the best I believe to be between the Hampshire Down and Cotswold; but..I must give a decided preference to the thorough-bred.

1903 Southern Planter Apr. 344 (advt.) One thoroughbred Angus cow, unregistered coming 3 yrs., with heifer calf at foot.

1967 Technol. & Culture 8 49 Many dog-breeders still feel that a thoroughbred bitch who couples with a dog of a different breed is ruined and can never produce pure-bred pups.

2005 N.Y. Times Mag. 11 Dec. 88/1 Thoroughbred camels guided by child-size robot jockeys racing along desert tracks at speeds of 25 miles an hour.

3. Resembling or suggestive of a thoroughbred horse in respect of good breeding, distinction, gracefulness, etc.; pure-bred, well-bred, distinguished; (also) remarkable of its type, first-class. Cf. sense B. 2.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [adjective]

aristocratic1596

select1602

qualified1604

patrician?1614

classical1629

aristocratical1742

ruffle-shirted1805

connected1817

thoroughbred1821

upper1825

eupatrid1833

optimate1846

classy1870

silver-tailed1890

upper-bracket1945

upscale1966

1821 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto V cvi. 188 More thorough-bred or fairer fingers.

1843 N. P. Willis in New Mirror 15 July 239/1 She is a plump little Jewess, with an advantage not common to plumptitude—a very uppish and thorough-bred neck.

1864 G. O. Trevelyan Competition Wallah xii. 441 It is hardly possible for a man brought up amidst European..associations to realize the idea conceived of him..by a thorough-bred Hindoo.

1875 C. T. S. B. Reynardson Down Road 229 There may be some who have never seen a real, thoroughbred coach, and yet who are good coachmen; to them I commend the task.

1948 C. Porter Tom, Dick, or Harry in R. Kimball Compl. Lyrics (1983) 275 I come to thee a thoroughbred patrician, still spraying my decaying family tree.

1992 Car Feb. 32/1 This thoroughbred car affords the luxury of three spoilers.

2004 S. E. Phillips Ain't She Sweet? (2005) i. 6 Her short skirt hiking to the top of her thighs and her long, thoroughbred legs leading the way.

2015 Sun (Nexis) 27 Dec. 36 Here was the thoroughbred footballer we all trusted to save the game.

B. n.

a. Originally: a horse of pure breed or stock. In later use chiefly: a horse of a breed developed in England, noted for its speed and typically used for racing, having a well-formed head, lean body, long neck, and long legs. Also: the breed itself.The thoroughbred breed was created from cross-breeding a small number of stallions imported into England with selected English mares in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > horse defined by breed > [noun] > thoroughbred horse

blood horsec1615

thoroughbred1728

1728 Stamford Mercury 4 Apr. 112/1 He is near 14 Hand 3 Inches high, and the strongest thorough-bred there is all this Side the Conntry [sic].

1835 Sunday Herald 7 June 184/3 Many thorough breds produced in this country..are not able to race; mainly owing to their diseased and broken down progenitors.

1842 W. M. Thackeray Fitz-Boodle's Confessions in Fraser's Mag. June 707 I can't afford a thorough-bred, and hate a cocktail.

1887 H. Smart Cleverly Won i. 3 Three or four thorough-breds that he had reared had attracted but little attention in ‘the sale ring’.

1903 J. J. Boniface Cavalry Horse & his Pack v. 82 Our American horses are largely permeated with the blood of the English Thoroughbred.

1936 Mansfield (Ohio) News Jrnl. 10 Jan. 16/1 When the thoroughbreds pound over the finish line, muzzle to muzzle, neck to neck, and thousands wonder who won, he must know, for he puts the numbers up.

1986 Horse & Hound 25 Apr. 47/3 The Thoroughbred is an athletically elite breed.

2005 A. Smith Accidental 293 She worked her own farm and owned her own beautiful thoroughbreds.

b. A pure-bred animal.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > domestic animal > [noun] > livestock > stock or breed > good breed > animal of good breed

full-blood1784

pure blood1842

thoroughbred1869

1869 Cultivator & Country Gentleman 30 Sept. 251/3 No matter how good such boars may themselves be, they cannot impress their qualities on their offspring with half the same strength or certainty as a thoroughbred.

1912 Amer. Sheep Breeder Dec. 734/2 A thoroughbred [sc. goat] that would otherwise be a good milker can be spoiled if not properly handled.

1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo ix. 135 The people of India divide elephants into three distinct classes: the koomeriah or thoroughbred, the dwasala or half-bred, and the mirga or third-rate creature.

1997 J. Gordon Flanders Point 140 She wasn't a mutt. Plum was a thoroughbred.

a. A well-born, well-bred, or thoroughly trained person. Formerly also with the and plural agreement: †thoroughbred people collectively (obsolete).

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [noun] > member of

optimate1574

gentle blood1575

patrician1631

grandlinga1637

(man, woman) of fashion1702

Brahmani1704

ruffled shirt1754

aristocrat1789

thoroughbred1817

Brahmin1823

big bug1826

ruffle shirt1830

ruffle-shirter1842

blue blood1850

aristo1864

upper1955

1817 S. T. Coleridge Biographia Literaria I. x. 169 He was one of the thorough-bred, a true lover of liberty.

1831 Times 5 Feb. Those persons who, with the gracious permission of the authorized thoroughbreds, may occasionally venture to carry a gun.

1894 H. H. Gardener Unofficial Patriot 15 There is rather a paucity of thoroughbreds among the Methodists.

1894 Outing 24 281/2 An air..that made you feel sure that she could play tennis or sail a boat. In fact, she looked a thoroughbred.

1914 J. L. Williams And so they were Married i. 21 Doctor Hamilton is in love with his work—fortunately... Besides, he's a thoroughbred; he wouldn't even look at a girl who throws herself at his head.

1974 W. Foley Child in Forest ii. vii. 238 Old and broken-winded Miss O'Rory might have been, but she was a thoroughbred.

1995 G. Burn Fullalove (2004) iii. 95 ‘A farmhorse like me could never keep up with a thoroughbred like you,’ he wrote to her from prison.

b. A first-rate vehicle or vessel.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > [noun] > first-rate boat

bully boat1839

thoroughbred1901

society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > [noun] > first-rate

thoroughbred1901

1901 Pall Mall Mag. Sept. 67/2 A vehicle running a race must in some mysterious way be a thoroughbred.

1908 Daily Chron. 21 Nov. 9/4 This machine [sc. a bicycle] and all the thorough-breds..are now..treated before enamelling to the special Coslett non-rusting process, which preserves the metal from all corrosion.

1956 Life 2 Apr. 17/2 (advt.) Maybe what your ‘ranch’ needs is a dependable, thrifty second car from our wide selection of used cars of all makes and models... But the ‘thoroughbreds’ of the lot carry a special OK brand.

1963 Jrnl. Brit. Stud. 3 108 Larger, heavier, and clumsier than the clippers, these ships were not thoroughbreds: they were often overmasted to make up for increased weight.

2007 Wired June 150/3 Even the ‘cheap’, reusable space shuttle is such a thoroughbred that it requires a ground crew of 50,000.

Compounds

Complementary, as thoroughbred-looking.

ΚΠ

1833 New Monthly Mag. Sept. 56 What a beautiful, thoroughbred-looking head!

1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal I. ix. 297 Who the deuce is that thoroughbred-looking girl?

2005 N.Y. Observer (Nexis) 8 Aug. 1 She's beautiful. I think there's something very classy and elegant and thoroughbred-looking about her.

Derivatives

ˈthoroughˌbredness n.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > domestic animal > [noun] > livestock > stock or breed

lineagea1500

breed1553

seminary1607

strain1607

thoroughbredness1846

1846 Dublin Univ. Mag. Nov. 510/1 His entire appearance was characterized by a delicacy, a gentleness, a thoroughbredness of manner which one looks for and finds in an Arabian steed.

1894 E. Banks Campaigns Curiosity 127 As regards the thorough-bredness of my black poodle.

a1916 J. London Michael, Brother of Jerry (1917) xxxvi. 327 The animal balked the take-off each time, and the hot thoroughbredness in its veins made it sweat and lather.

2008 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 4 May sp6 As a longtime very ambivalent fan of horse racing and a lover of thoroughbreds, I can't help seeing what happened as a kind of paradigm of Thoroughbredness.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	thoroughbred
释义	thoroughbredadj.n. Brit. /ˈθʌrəbrɛd/, U.S. /ˈθərəˌbrɛd/, /ˈθəroʊˌbrɛd/ Forms: α. 1700s throughbred. β. 1700s thorowbred, 1700s– thoroughbred, 1800s thoro'bred, 1800s thorobred. Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: through- prefix, bred adj.¹, thorough- prefix. Etymology: In α. forms < through- prefix + bred adj.¹ In β. forms < thorough- prefix + bred adj.¹It is unclear whether the original meaning is shown by sense A. 1 (i.e. with application to a person) or whether (in spite of the chronology of the attestations) this arose as a figurative application of sense A. 2a. A. adj. †1. Thoroughly educated or accomplished; complete, thorough, out-and-out. Obsolete except as merged in sense A. 3. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adjective] > utter or absolute > of a person or his character utterc1420 complete1526 entirea1533 throughout1532 in grain?1577 consummate1603 essential1604 perfecta1616 thorough1625 thorough-paceda1628 thoroughbred1701 throughgoing1830 through and through1831 thorough-souled1842 ingrained1851 ingrain1865 1701 N. Grew Cosmol. Sacra ii. vii. §47 A through-bred Soldier, weighs all present Circumstances, and all possible Contingents. ?1719 M. Davies Athenæ Britannicæ VI. iii. 27 Nothing can well be thought more dismal and fatal for a thorough-bred Scholar and Proselyte-Author, than the unavoidable Necessity he finds himself in..to keep Company with vagrant pilfring Beggars at Doors. 1721 N. Amhurst Terræ-filius No. 47 (1754) 253 Nothing can restrain a thorough-bred gamester. 1876 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 2nd Ser. ii. 44 A thoroughbred utilitarian, full of sagacity. 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal III. i. 20 He never handled a gun like a thoroughbred sportsman. 1928 Amer. Speech 4 41 Such an etymology is enough to make any thoroughbred philologist tear his hair in despair. 2. a. Originally: designating a horse of pure breed or stock. In later use chiefly: designating a horse of the thoroughbred breed (see sense B. 1a); of or relating to this breed. ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > biological processes > genetic activity > heredity or hereditary descent > [adjective] > descent from common ancestor pure1569 truly1650 thoroughbred1719 thorough-blood1774 monogeneous1857 genetic1860 monogenous1866 homogenetic1870 homogenetical1870 homogenous1870 monophyletic1874 clean-bred1882 homodemic1883 homophylic1883 homosystemic1883 line-bred1891 synepigonic1904 cladistic1960 1719 London Gaz. 15 Sept. (advt.) A thorow bred Horse, made like a Spaniard and very well managed, of a very showish lofty Carriage. 1761 W. Osmer Treat. Dis. & Lameness Horses (new ed.) iii. iii. 282 My design is to shew, that the thorough-bred horse..is, for every purpose, far superior to him that is half-bred. 1796 J. Lawrence Philos. & Pract. Treat. Horses I. iv. 166 Thorough-bred hacks are the most docile and quiet, and the least liable to shy. 1825 N. H. Smith Breeding for Turf 5 The pedigree of Eclipse affords a singular illustration of the descent of our thorough-bred horses from pure Eastern blood. 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 258 The term thorough-bred, as relating to a horse..is neither critically nor conventionally definite. 1877 R. H. Roberts Harry Holbrooke of Holbrooke Hall i. 21 Mounted upon a thoroughbred..bay mare. 1915 Lotus Mag. Nov. 66/2 From many types have partially or wholly been eradicated every trace of thoroughbred blood. 1968 Observer's Bk. Horses & Ponies (rev. ed.) 193 Horses of pure English thoroughbred stock as bred and developed in Poland. 1990 L. Lane & N. L. Andrews Malibu 90265 ii. 20 Bonnie Louise bounded up the spiral staircase, smiling at the portraits of thoroughbred horses. 2006 Daily Tel. 22 June 27/1 As a stud groom he had some of Britain's finest thoroughbred stallions in his care. b. Of a domestic animal other than a horse: of pure breed or stock. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] > of livestock > kept for breeding > well-bred gentle?a1300 true-bred1607 well-bred1607 racy1676 bred1710 high-bred1731 full-blood1764 full-blooded1784 thoroughbred1788 pure blood1818 toppy1893 straight-bred1898 straight1972 1788 Family Mag. Apr. 282/1 Friday last a young man, riding along Blackfriars-road, was attacked by a thorough-bred bull-dog, with all the fierceness peculiar to that animal. 1805 J. Lawrence Gen. Treat. Cattle 440 Saxony maintains 1,600,000 sheep, of which, 90,000 are fine woolled, including thorough bred and crossed. 1856 Farmer's Mag. Jan. 29 There are some men who prefer the cross-bred animal—the best I believe to be between the Hampshire Down and Cotswold; but..I must give a decided preference to the thorough-bred. 1903 Southern Planter Apr. 344 (advt.) One thoroughbred Angus cow, unregistered coming 3 yrs., with heifer calf at foot. 1967 Technol. & Culture 8 49 Many dog-breeders still feel that a thoroughbred bitch who couples with a dog of a different breed is ruined and can never produce pure-bred pups. 2005 N.Y. Times Mag. 11 Dec. 88/1 Thoroughbred camels guided by child-size robot jockeys racing along desert tracks at speeds of 25 miles an hour. 3. Resembling or suggestive of a thoroughbred horse in respect of good breeding, distinction, gracefulness, etc.; pure-bred, well-bred, distinguished; (also) remarkable of its type, first-class. Cf. sense B. 2. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [adjective] aristocratic1596 select1602 qualified1604 patrician?1614 classical1629 aristocratical1742 ruffle-shirted1805 connected1817 thoroughbred1821 upper1825 eupatrid1833 optimate1846 classy1870 silver-tailed1890 upper-bracket1945 upscale1966 1821 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto V cvi. 188 More thorough-bred or fairer fingers. 1843 N. P. Willis in New Mirror 15 July 239/1 She is a plump little Jewess, with an advantage not common to plumptitude—a very uppish and thorough-bred neck. 1864 G. O. Trevelyan Competition Wallah xii. 441 It is hardly possible for a man brought up amidst European..associations to realize the idea conceived of him..by a thorough-bred Hindoo. 1875 C. T. S. B. Reynardson Down Road 229 There may be some who have never seen a real, thoroughbred coach, and yet who are good coachmen; to them I commend the task. 1948 C. Porter Tom, Dick, or Harry in R. Kimball Compl. Lyrics (1983) 275 I come to thee a thoroughbred patrician, still spraying my decaying family tree. 1992 Car Feb. 32/1 This thoroughbred car affords the luxury of three spoilers. 2004 S. E. Phillips Ain't She Sweet? (2005) i. 6 Her short skirt hiking to the top of her thighs and her long, thoroughbred legs leading the way. 2015 Sun (Nexis) 27 Dec. 36 Here was the thoroughbred footballer we all trusted to save the game. B. n. 1. a. Originally: a horse of pure breed or stock. In later use chiefly: a horse of a breed developed in England, noted for its speed and typically used for racing, having a well-formed head, lean body, long neck, and long legs. Also: the breed itself.The thoroughbred breed was created from cross-breeding a small number of stallions imported into England with selected English mares in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > family Equidae (general equines) > horse defined by breed > [noun] > thoroughbred horse blood horsec1615 thoroughbred1728 1728 Stamford Mercury 4 Apr. 112/1 He is near 14 Hand 3 Inches high, and the strongest thorough-bred there is all this Side the Conntry [sic]. 1835 Sunday Herald 7 June 184/3 Many thorough breds produced in this country..are not able to race; mainly owing to their diseased and broken down progenitors. 1842 W. M. Thackeray Fitz-Boodle's Confessions in Fraser's Mag. June 707 I can't afford a thorough-bred, and hate a cocktail. 1887 H. Smart Cleverly Won i. 3 Three or four thorough-breds that he had reared had attracted but little attention in ‘the sale ring’. 1903 J. J. Boniface Cavalry Horse & his Pack v. 82 Our American horses are largely permeated with the blood of the English Thoroughbred. 1936 Mansfield (Ohio) News Jrnl. 10 Jan. 16/1 When the thoroughbreds pound over the finish line, muzzle to muzzle, neck to neck, and thousands wonder who won, he must know, for he puts the numbers up. 1986 Horse & Hound 25 Apr. 47/3 The Thoroughbred is an athletically elite breed. 2005 A. Smith Accidental 293 She worked her own farm and owned her own beautiful thoroughbreds. b. A pure-bred animal. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [noun] > livestock > stock or breed > good breed > animal of good breed full-blood1784 pure blood1842 thoroughbred1869 1869 Cultivator & Country Gentleman 30 Sept. 251/3 No matter how good such boars may themselves be, they cannot impress their qualities on their offspring with half the same strength or certainty as a thoroughbred. 1912 Amer. Sheep Breeder Dec. 734/2 A thoroughbred [sc. goat] that would otherwise be a good milker can be spoiled if not properly handled. 1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo ix. 135 The people of India divide elephants into three distinct classes: the koomeriah or thoroughbred, the dwasala or half-bred, and the mirga or third-rate creature. 1997 J. Gordon Flanders Point 140 She wasn't a mutt. Plum was a thoroughbred. 2. a. A well-born, well-bred, or thoroughly trained person. Formerly also with the and plural agreement: †thoroughbred people collectively (obsolete). ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > [noun] > member of optimate1574 gentle blood1575 patrician1631 grandlinga1637 (man, woman) of fashion1702 Brahmani1704 ruffled shirt1754 aristocrat1789 thoroughbred1817 Brahmin1823 big bug1826 ruffle shirt1830 ruffle-shirter1842 blue blood1850 aristo1864 upper1955 1817 S. T. Coleridge Biographia Literaria I. x. 169 He was one of the thorough-bred, a true lover of liberty. 1831 Times 5 Feb. Those persons who, with the gracious permission of the authorized thoroughbreds, may occasionally venture to carry a gun. 1894 H. H. Gardener Unofficial Patriot 15 There is rather a paucity of thoroughbreds among the Methodists. 1894 Outing 24 281/2 An air..that made you feel sure that she could play tennis or sail a boat. In fact, she looked a thoroughbred. 1914 J. L. Williams And so they were Married i. 21 Doctor Hamilton is in love with his work—fortunately... Besides, he's a thoroughbred; he wouldn't even look at a girl who throws herself at his head. 1974 W. Foley Child in Forest ii. vii. 238 Old and broken-winded Miss O'Rory might have been, but she was a thoroughbred. 1995 G. Burn Fullalove (2004) iii. 95 ‘A farmhorse like me could never keep up with a thoroughbred like you,’ he wrote to her from prison. b. A first-rate vehicle or vessel. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > [noun] > first-rate boat bully boat1839 thoroughbred1901 society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > [noun] > first-rate thoroughbred1901 1901 Pall Mall Mag. Sept. 67/2 A vehicle running a race must in some mysterious way be a thoroughbred. 1908 Daily Chron. 21 Nov. 9/4 This machine [sc. a bicycle] and all the thorough-breds..are now..treated before enamelling to the special Coslett non-rusting process, which preserves the metal from all corrosion. 1956 Life 2 Apr. 17/2 (advt.) Maybe what your ‘ranch’ needs is a dependable, thrifty second car from our wide selection of used cars of all makes and models... But the ‘thoroughbreds’ of the lot carry a special OK brand. 1963 Jrnl. Brit. Stud. 3 108 Larger, heavier, and clumsier than the clippers, these ships were not thoroughbreds: they were often overmasted to make up for increased weight. 2007 Wired June 150/3 Even the ‘cheap’, reusable space shuttle is such a thoroughbred that it requires a ground crew of 50,000. Compounds Complementary, as thoroughbred-looking. ΚΠ 1833 New Monthly Mag. Sept. 56 What a beautiful, thoroughbred-looking head! 1882 M. E. Braddon Mt. Royal I. ix. 297 Who the deuce is that thoroughbred-looking girl? 2005 N.Y. Observer (Nexis) 8 Aug. 1 She's beautiful. I think there's something very classy and elegant and thoroughbred-looking about her. Derivatives ˈthoroughˌbredness n. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [noun] > livestock > stock or breed lineagea1500 breed1553 seminary1607 strain1607 thoroughbredness1846 1846 Dublin Univ. Mag. Nov. 510/1 His entire appearance was characterized by a delicacy, a gentleness, a thoroughbredness of manner which one looks for and finds in an Arabian steed. 1894 E. Banks Campaigns Curiosity 127 As regards the thorough-bredness of my black poodle. a1916 J. London Michael, Brother of Jerry (1917) xxxvi. 327 The animal balked the take-off each time, and the hot thoroughbredness in its veins made it sweat and lather. 2008 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 4 May sp6 As a longtime very ambivalent fan of horse racing and a lover of thoroughbreds, I can't help seeing what happened as a kind of paradigm of Thoroughbredness. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2017; most recently modified version published online March 2022). > as lemmas thorough-bred 3. Of animals: Of good breed. So with reference to the comparative purity of the breed: thorough-bred, half-bred, three-parts-bred, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > domestic animal > [adjective] > of livestock > kept for breeding > well-bred gentle?a1300 true-bred1607 well-bred1607 racy1676 bred1710 high-bred1731 full-blood1764 full-blooded1784 thoroughbred1788 pure blood1818 toppy1893 straight-bred1898 straight1972 1710 London Gaz. No. 4677/4 Their Horses seem to have been bred Horses. 1787 ‘G. Gambado’ Acad. Horsemen 3 Nothing now is to be seen but bred horses. 1859 J. M. Jephson & L. Reeve Narr. Walking Tour Brittany iii. 29 Thorough-bred horses in stalls. extracted from bredadj.¹ < adj.n.1701 as lemmas
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thoroughbredadj.n.

Compounds

Derivatives

> as lemmas