I. ˈthər.(ˌ)ō, ˈthər.ə, ˈthə.(ˌ)rō, ˈthə.rə sometimes ˈthȯ(ˌ)rō or -_rə; -r.əw or -.rəw or -_rō+V preposition
Etymology: Middle English thorugh, thorw, thorow, from Old English thuruh, thurh, preposition & adverb — more at through
archaic : through
thorough the fog it came — S.T.Coleridge
II. adverb
Etymology: Middle English thorugh, thorw, thorow, from Old English thuruh, thurh, preposition & adverb
1. archaic : through
the plowshare drawn thorough — A.C.Swinburne
2. dialect chiefly Britain : thoroughly
a thorough good sort — Virginia Woolf
III. adjective
( sometimes -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English thorow, from thorugh, thorw, thorow, adverb
1. : marked by completeness: as
a.
(1) : carried through to completion especially with full attention to details : complete
a thorough search
drastic thorough intensive reform — J.G.Harrison
(2) : marked by attention to many details
the very thorough description of the country — G.F.Hudson
especially : marked by sound systematic attention to all aspects and details
completed thorough courses in mathematics — H.H.Arnold & I.C.Eaker
his thorough grasp of economic matters — Alexander Brady
(3) : complete in all respects
the performance is a thorough delight — Brooks Atkinson
b.
(1) : characterized by mastery (as of a profession or an art)
a thorough musician
(2) : having all the typical qualities
were both thorough children of the Renaissance — Gamaliel Bradford
(3) : careful about all details
is not brilliant but he is very thorough — O.W.Holmes †1935
2. : passing through
• thor·ough·ly -r.əlē -.rə-, -li adverb
• thor·ough·ness noun -es
IV. noun
( -s )
Usage: usually capitalized
: a thorough policy or action ; especially : a thorough and tyrannical political policy (as in 17th century England)