war-horse

[wawr-hawrs] /ˈwɔrˌhɔrs/
noun
1.
a horse used in war; charger.
2.
Informal. a veteran, as a soldier or politician, of many struggles and conflicts.
3.
a musical composition, play, etc., that has been seen, heard, or performed excessively.
Origin
1645-55; war1 + horse
war horse in Culture

war horse definition


A person or thing that has seen long service or has lived through many hardships and can be relied on: “That teacher is a real war horse; he has seen the dismissal of ten different principals.”

Idioms and Phrases with war horse

war horse

Also, old war horse. A dependable, frequently performed attraction, as in The opera company is doing nothing but old war horses this season, like, A&idie;da and La Bohème. This term originated in the mid-1600s for a military charger that had been through many battles. In the 1800s it began to be used for human veterans, and in the mid-1900s for popular productions, especially of musical works.