Basic Details
Word: Thoroughbred
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: A horse of a pure breed, especially the breed used for racing. Used as an adjective, it can also describe a person who is highly trained and skilled.
Synonyms: purebred
Antonyms: mongrel, crossbreed
How to Spell Thoroughbred
Syllables: thor - ough - bred
Tricky part: Thorough is easily confused with through, and its ough is often shortened to o (thorobred). The end is bred, from breed, not bread.
Watch out for: throughbred, thorobred, thoroughbread
Memory tip: Two words joined: thorough + bred. The horse has been bred thoroughly, and bred is the past of breed, not the bread you eat.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The thoroughbred galloped past the winning post at the Mahalakshmi Racecourse.
Example 2: Breeders in Pune train each thoroughbred for months before its first race.
Example 3: The new coach is a thoroughbred professional who never misses a detail.
Fun Fact
Every Thoroughbred racehorse today traces its male line back to one of three stallions brought to England between about 1690 and 1730: the Byerley Turk, the Darley Arabian and the Godolphin Arabian.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
thoroughbred / racecorse / horsshoe / saddelbag
a) racecorse
b) horsshoe
c) saddelbag
d) thoroughbred
Show answer
d) thoroughbred. Racecourse keeps the u of course, horseshoe keeps the e of horse and saddlebag ends its first half in -le.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
thoroughbread
a) o
b) a
c) h
d) r
Show answer
b) a. The second half is bred, the past form of breed; bread belongs in a sandwich.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word thoroughbred as used in the sentence:
The thoroughbred won the Derby by a full length after leading from the start.
a) purebred
b) mongrel
c) pony
d) donkey
Show answer
a) purebred. A thoroughbred is a purebred horse; a mongrel is of mixed breed, the reverse idea.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A thoroughbred is best known as ____.
a) a type of brown bread
b) a kind of dog collar
c) a farm cart with two wheels
d) a breed of racehorse
Show answer
d) a breed of racehorse
2. Calling a musician a thoroughbred performer suggests she is ____.
a) new to the stage
b) highly skilled and well trained
c) louder than the others
d) always late for concerts
Show answer
b) highly skilled and well trained
