Advertisement
Advertisement
bred-in-the-bone
[ bred-n-thuh-bohn ]
adjective
- firmly instilled or established as if by heredity:
the bred-in-the-bone integrity of the school's headmaster.
- deeply committed or resolved; unwavering:
a bred-in-the-bone believer in civil rights.
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of bred-in-the-bone1
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English; from the proverb “What is bred in the bone will not come out of the flesh,” first recorded in England (in Latin ) circa 1290, and widespread in various versions
Discover More
Example Sentences
Theodore Roosevelt was a thoroughgoing, bred-in-the-bone individualist, but not as the term is ordinarily understood.
From Project Gutenberg
But one can never reckon with real, bred-in-the-bone old-maidism.
From Project Gutenberg
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse