1
: deep-rooted
bred-in-the-bone honesty
2
: inveterate
a bred-in-the-bone gambler

Examples of bred-in-the-bone in a Sentence

a bred-in-the-bone Democrat who always votes a straight ticket bred-in-the-bone honesty earned him the nickname of "Honest Abe"

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bred-in-the-bone was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near bred-in-the-bone

Cite this Entry

“Bred-in-the-bone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bred-in-the-bone. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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