bred in the bone
1
8.8
- idiom
- Informal
- The politician's charisma seems to be bred in the bone, making him a natural leader.
Examples
-
Even if we wished to, few of us have either the land or the bred-in-the-bone skills that would allow us to live like Ren.
Academic text (2012) -
THE DOCTOR: Is talent acquired, or is it bred in the bone?
Fiction book (1997) -
And that knowledge, bred in the bone, is what lies behind mob rule.
Fiction book (1991) -
Inherent in her was the Southern aristocrat's uncompromising contempt for poor whites, bred in the bone.
Fiction book (1995) -
Her artistic talent is clearly bred in the bone; she has been creating since childhood.
-
His ability to connect with people is bred in the bone, evident from his warm demeanor.
Synonyms
40
6.7
A natural, basic part of a person or thing
25
6.4
Firmly fixed in a person, especially a habit or belief, so it is hard to change
20
4.8
A feeling, belief or tradition that is very strong and hard to change
16
5.5
Firmly fixed in a person or group and hard to change
14
6.9
Deeply fixed in a person or group and hard to change
12
6.8
Present from birth and not learned
1
9.9
A quality that is part of something's basic nature
How Ingrained
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'bred' (produced) and 'in the bone' (deep inside the body) give a partial clue that the quality is formed deeply or inherently, so a learner could infer a core sense. However the expression is metaphorical and somewhat idiomatic/literary, so the precise meaning 'deeply ingrained or inherent' is not fully predictable for an average B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Bred in the bone may come from the image of a trait being bred deep into the bone at birth, as if it is part of your body from the start. So, it means a quality is 'inherited' or 'deeply part of someone' and cannot easily be changed.