Home US English thoroughbred

Definition of thoroughbred in English:

thoroughbred

Pronunciation /ˈTHərōˌbred/ /ˈθəroʊˌbrɛd/

See synonyms for thoroughbred

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adjective

  • 1(of a horse) of pure breed, especially of a breed originating from English mares and Arab stallions and widely used as racehorses.

    ‘some riders will only buy thoroughbred horses’
    • ‘He is passionate about horses and breeds thoroughbred racehorses.’
    • ‘The first one touching the rope here will receive the prize, which is the handsome thoroughbred race horse, saddle, bridle, and spurs, standing yonder.’
    • ‘Noblemen founded stables and became interested in breeding thoroughbred racehorses.’
    • ‘Show-jumpers are highly bred thoroughbred horses and as a result they are extremely highly strung.’
    • ‘The two-year-old dark brown thoroughbred filly was bred in Australia where her sire was one of the country's most successful racehorses.’
    • ‘From the start the bloodlines of Australian horses were strongly Arab with increasing influence from thoroughbred stallions.’
    • ‘He added that Ireland has 75,500 horses and ponies, with thoroughbred horses accounting for an estimated £100 million per annum in exports.’
    • ‘At the end of the day, when the sun sets on the racetrack, the owners load up their thoroughbred and Arab horses until next month's race meeting.’
    • ‘Three is the most important age for a thoroughbred racehorse’
    • ‘The new technique will not be used by thoroughbred racehorse breeders.’
    • ‘Despite that, we are a highly regarded breeding farm for thoroughbred horses.’
    • ‘Similarly, the increased expenditure on thoroughbred horses for hunting saw a substantial rise in the grandeur and expense laid out on stables from the late 18th century.’
    • ‘Alfalfa, the preferred feed for thoroughbred horses, dairy cows, and other livestock, has always been a pioneer plant.’
    • ‘Well I think the main thing you've got to have is the understanding of a thoroughbred horse, its pace and its temperament.’
    • ‘That said, I have tremendous appreciation for thoroughbred racehorses - fragile, powerful animals that come as close to the spirit of pure competition as it probably gets.’
    • ‘It may seem odd to be expressing concern about the future of a species other than homo sapiens at this time, but we need to know what, if anything, is going wrong with the thoroughbred racehorse.’
    • ‘But we also need to educate people because many don't realise what they are taking home when they buy a thoroughbred racehorse.’
    • ‘Racing is not a team sport - it's about the jockey and his relationship with the thoroughbred racehorse.’
    • ‘The result, more than 35 years on, is that Ireland has come from nowhere to reach the status of Europe's leading producer of thoroughbred horses.’
    • ‘The global economic slowdown seems unlikely to impact on some lifestyles as sales of thoroughbred horses continue to gallop ahead.’
    pure-bred, pedigree, pure, pure-blooded, full-blooded, pedigreed
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    1. 1.1informal Of outstanding quality.
      • ‘this thoroughbred car affords the luxury of three spoilers’
      • ‘The cast is of genuine thoroughbred quality.’
      • ‘By the late 1980s, many were bringing thoroughbred race cars - super powerful, light machines designed only for the race track.’
      top-quality, high-quality, first-class, first-rate, high-grade, of the first water, of the first order
      View synonyms

noun

  • 1A horse of a thoroughbred breed.

    ‘Harness racing, pacing and trotting, is raced by standard-bred horses as opposed to thoroughbreds, who do the galloping.’
    • ‘Her hobby is betting on horses, and Josef's business is breeding and racing thoroughbreds.’
    • ‘In recent seasons, the lucrative prizes and improvements in equine aviation have attracted the cream of Europe's thoroughbreds to the annual US extravaganza.’
    • ‘Few tracks offer a more searching examination of a thoroughbred's ability, and potential.’
    • ‘Any flicker of uncertainty about riding such a young thoroughbred vanished.’
    • ‘‘Any good horseman should be able to train both types, quarterhorses and thoroughbreds,’ he said.’
    • ‘Throughout the competition there were also a number of activities for riders and their thoroughbreds, such as health check-ups for horses and lectures on how to effectively care for the graceful animals.’
    • ‘Ben owns the only horse farm in Kentucky without any horses and makes his living training thoroughbreds to win races.’
    • ‘A great racehorse is rare, but thoroughbreds who can out-perform their riders and owners are thick upon the ground.’
    • ‘Did you know it is an offence for a person in New South Wales to place a bet on an Australian thoroughbred, harness, or greyhound race with an operator not licensed in Australia?’
    • ‘Maybe 60,000 horses a year are killed in two U.S. slaughterhouses for human consumption abroad; only a small portion of those are thoroughbreds, and those are the severely damaged horses.’
    • ‘The study suggested that the Asian horses were similar to each other and distinct from thoroughbreds.’
    • ‘The horses were real thoroughbreds and the way they moved was a pleasure to watch, whereas the bicycle races had bored me to death.’
    • ‘I'm used to thoroughbreds where all their natural instincts have been bred out of them; they suffer in extreme climates and have delicate digestive systems.’
    • ‘The horse is just one of 350 thoroughbreds in the country.’
    • ‘Fallon spent time around horses in his early days but they certainly weren't thoroughbreds.’
    • ‘There has been a shortage of farriers to shoe the thousands of both thoroughbred and sport horses in the country, due in part to the absence of formal farrier training.’
    • ‘I bought a 15.3 hand, 5 year old thoroughbred 10 months ago.’
    • ‘He recently purchased a ranch near his villa in southern France and has begun breeding thoroughbreds.’
    • ‘Perched high atop the chestnut thoroughbred, she looked at him with a definite challenge in her eyes.’
    1. 1.1informal An outstanding or first-class person or thing.
      • ‘this is a real thoroughbred of a record’
      • ‘He looks a real thoroughbred in attack and defence, and has the unusual ability in the current context of remaining injury free.’
      • ‘Second record cap-holder and an immense tackler, Scott was a thoroughbred from 19, and got stronger and stronger.’
      • ‘Outstanding in midfield this season, the 32-year-old thoroughbred switched to centre-back after his teammate limped off with a knee injury just over half an hour into the action.’
      • ‘Is there any let up for this thoroughbred of a record label as it maintains it's perfect 10 out of 10 release rate?’
      • ‘From the motor racing stables come two thoroughbreds that will add a new sound to the roar away from the green lights.’