bred-in-the-bone

adjective

ˈbre-dᵊn-t͟hə-ˌbōn 

1

: deep-rooted

bred-in-the-bone honesty

2

: inveterate

a bred-in-the-bone gambler

Synonyms

• chronic
• confirmed
• dyed-in-the-wool
• habitual
• inveterate

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