hidebound

[ hahyd-bound ]

adjective

1. narrow and rigid in opinion; inflexible:

   a hidebound pedant.

2. oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative:

   a hidebound philosopher.

3. (of a horse, cow, etc.) having the back and ribs bound tightly by the hide.

hidebound

/ ˈhaɪdˌbaʊnd /

adjective

1. restricted by petty rules, a conservative attitude, etc
2. (of cattle, etc) having the skin closely attached to the flesh as a result of poor feeding
3. (of trees) having a very tight bark that impairs growth

Other Words From

• hideboundness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of hidebound¹

First recorded in 1550–60; hide ² + -bound ¹

Example Sentences

There was a time when Olympians weren’t allowed to receive any money, when the International Olympic Committee clung to a hidebound notion of amateurism.

From Los Angeles Times

Egyptian-backed young officers in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, staged a coup in 1962 against a hidebound theocratic leader who had long kept the country in a state of isolation.

From Salon

The production, which was at the Park Avenue Armory earlier this season, has arrived at the St. James Theatre in the role of deus ex machina, rescuing Broadway from its hidebound habits.

From Los Angeles Times

In the State House, Ms. Haley resisted the rules of the state’s famously hidebound political club, said Tom Davis, a Republican and one of a small handful of state senators who have endorsed her.

From New York Times

“And the whole thing is just hidebound with bureaucracy.”

From BBC