breed in the bone

== English == === Pronunciation === === Verb === breed in the bone (third-person singular simple present breeds in the bone, present participle breeding in the bone, simple past and past participle bred in the bone) (idiomatic, of a habit, personal characteristic, etc.) To establish or ingrain firmly within someone's nature. ==== Usage notes ==== Usually found in the past participial form, bred in the bone, and often hyphenated when used as a modifier: bred-in-the-bone. ==== Derived terms ==== bred-in-the-bone === References === “bred in the bone”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.