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Glite Dictionary
thoroughbred race

thoroughbred race

6.1
A horse race only for a special breed of horses bred for running
  • noun
  • /ˈθɜroʊˌbrɛd reɪs/
translation icon : carrera de pura sangre
  • Attending a thoroughbred race provides an exciting opportunity to watch these magnificent horses compete.
  • thoroughbred race track

Examples

  • She has always dreamed of attending a famous thoroughbred race at Churchill Downs.

  • The annual thoroughbred race attracts thousands of spectators.

  • The annual thoroughbred race attracted top horses and jockeys from around the country.

  • Winning a thoroughbred race requires skill from both the horse and the rider.

  • Many owners invest heavily in thoroughbred races each year.

  • Every year, the Kentucky Derby is famous for being the most prestigious thoroughbred race in the United States.

  • The trainers prepared their horses meticulously for the upcoming thoroughbred race at the local racetrack.

Synonyms

horse race
vsthoroughbred race
23 1.6

An event where people ride or drive horses to see which is fastest

is only for one specific breed rather than for all breeds
thoroughbred racing
vsthoroughbred race
2 6.0

A sport where people race thoroughbred horses on a track

is a single event limited to that breed rather than the whole sport

Surface Forms

thoroughbred race singular
thoroughbred races plural

Morphology

thoroughbred + race

The phrase is directly compositional: 'thoroughbred' names a specific type of racehorse and 'race' denotes a contest, so the combined meaning is a race for thoroughbred horses. This follows a common noun-modifier pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The term thoroughbred race comes from the horse type thoroughbred, a horse carefully bred from pure family lines to be fast and strong. So a thoroughbred race is a 'race' where only these specially bred, 'pure' horses compete.