adj
Meaning 1
Having the fibres dyed before they are formed into cloth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
dyed-in-the-wool
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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UK, US: /ˌdaɪd ɪn ðə ˈwʊl/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
adj
Meaning 2
Firmly established in one's beliefs or habits; having a specified characteristic, identity, etc. deeply ingrained in one's nature.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, idiomatic
Examples
- 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.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inveterate
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From the past participle of dye in the wool. 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.).
Across languages
Translations
28 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: lankoina värjätty — dyed before being formed into cloth
- French: teint en laine — dyed before being formed into cloth
- German: in der Wolle gefärbt — dyed before being formed into cloth
- Chinese Mandarin: 铁杆 (tiěgǎn) — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Dutch: door de wol geverfd — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Finnish: parantumaton — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Finnish: pesunkestävä — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Finnish: vannoutunut — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Finnish: henkeen ja vereen — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- French: ancré — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- German: in der Wolle gefärbt — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- German: waschecht — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- German: eingefleischt — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Italian: inveterato — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Italian: radicato — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Italian: atavico — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Italian: impenitente — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Japanese: 筋金入り (sujiganeiri) — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Portuguese: inveterado — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Portuguese: fanático — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Portuguese: roxo — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Portuguese: de carteirinha — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Russian: закорене́лый (zakorenélyj) — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Russian: бескомпроми́ссный (beskompromíssnyj) — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Spanish: inveterado — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Spanish: acérrimo — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Spanish: empedernido — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
- Thai: เข้ากระดูกดํา (kâo-grà-dùuk-dam) — firmly established in a person's beliefs or habits
Real reading context