dyed in the wool
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Cloth which is wool-dyed (not piece-dyed) is true throughout and will wash. Hence the phrase is used to describe anything or person absolutely genuine.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “dyed in the wool” mean?
Cloth which is wool-dyed (not piece-dyed) is true throughout and will wash. Hence the phrase is used to describe anything or person absolutely genuine.
Is “dyed in the wool” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.