hidebound

[ hahyd-bound ]

/ ˈhaɪdˌbaʊnd /

narrow and rigid in opinion; inflexible: a hidebound pedant.

oriented toward or confined to the past; extremely conservative: a hidebound philosopher.

(of a horse, cow, etc.) having the back and ribs bound tightly by the hide.

Origin of hidebound

First recorded in 1550–60; hide² + -bound¹

hide·bound·ness, noun

The GOP is still struggling to shed its hidebound, out-of-touch image, especially with voters not yet drawing Social Security.

Why America Needs Cheney. No, the Other Cheney. |Michelle Cottle |April 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Change is a necessary part of life, even in hidebound Washington.

Odd Ideas, Short Tempers, Great Abs |Michelle Cottle |January 4, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
She languished in bed and he diagnosed her illness as resulting from the fact that she was "hidebound."

A Backward Glance at Eighty |Charles A. Murdock
Divinity lies all about us, and culture is too hidebound to even suspect the fact.

Talks To Teachers On Psychology; And To Students On Some Of Life's Ideals |William James

Not depraved, certainly, unless you insist on judging it by a hidebound ethic.

Earthsmith |Milton Lesser
He may be a hidebound party man, always voting the party ticket, and swallowing the party platforms whole.

Theodore Roosevelt |Edmund Lester Pearson
How in thunder can I get those narrow-gauge, hidebound Easterners to launch out into business in this country?

The Man From Glengarry |Ralph Connor

hidebound

/ (ˈhaɪdˌbaʊnd) /

restricted by petty rules, a conservative attitude, etc

(of cattle, etc) having the skin closely attached to the flesh as a result of poor feeding

(of trees) having a very tight bark that impairs growth