ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
1. : a horse used in war ; especially : a powerful horse for military service : charger
2. : a veteran soldier or public person (as a politician) : an old campaigner, leader, or partisan who has had a stormy but successful career
3. : a work of art (as a musical composition, a ballet, or a play) that because of much repetition as part of the standard repertory has become extremely hackneyed
a symphonic war-horse
a war-horse of the concert stage