- dyed before being woven
- thoroughgoing or unchanging
dyed-in-the-wool
dyed-in-the-woolWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"dyed-in-the-wool." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool>.
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dyed-in-the-wool. (n.d.). Retrieved June 07th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool
dyed-in-the-wool
adjective
- Thoroughgoing; out-and-out: a dyed-in-the-wool populist.
- Dyed before being woven into cloth.
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"dyed-in-the-wool." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool>.
APA Style
dyed-in-the-wool. (n.d.). Retrieved June 07th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool
Adjective
(comparative more dyed-in-the-wool, superlative most dyed-in-the-wool)
- (of textiles) Dyed before being formed into cloth.
- (idiomatic, figuratively) Firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits; deeply ingrained in the nature of a person or thing.
- Smith was a dyed-in-the-wool typist and never really got used to writing on computers.
- John Major was described by his opponents as a dyed-in-the-wool Conservative.
Usage notes
The expression "dyed in the wool" refers to a state of steadfastness, especially with respect to one's political, religious or social beliefs. The expression comes from the fact that fabric can be dyed in a number of ways. The woven fabric may be dyed after it is complete, or the threads may be dyed before they are woven. When a color is "dyed in the wool," the wool itself is dyed before being spun into threads, so the colour is least likely to fade or change. (Dyes: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases. Icon Group International. 2008, p. 344.)
Origin
From the past participle of dye in the wool
Verb
- simple past tense and past participle of dye in the wool
Adjective
(comparative more dyed in the wool, superlative most dyed in the wool)
- (idiomatic) Alternative spelling of dyed-in-the-wool. (Set in one's ways, steadfast.)
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"dyed-in-the-wool." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool>.
APA Style
dyed-in-the-wool. (n.d.). Retrieved June 07th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/dyed-in-the-wool
