blood

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
a(1)
: the fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body
(2)
: a comparable fluid of an invertebrate
b
: a fluid resembling blood
2
: the shedding of blood
also : the taking of life
3
a
: lifeblood
broadly : life
b
: human stock or lineage
especially : royal lineage
a prince of the blood
c
: relationship by descent from a common ancestor : kinship
d
: persons related through common descent : kindred
e(1)
: honorable or high birth or descent
(2)
: descent from parents of recognized breed or pedigree
4
a(1)
: blood regarded as the seat of the emotions : temper
Chide him for his faults, and do it reverently, / When you perceive his blood inclined to mirth; / But, being moody, give him line and scope …William Shakespeare
(2)
: the one of the four humors (see humor entry 1 sense 2c) in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be hot and moist and to cause cheerfulness and optimism
b
obsolete : lust
c
: a man who dresses showily and behaves in an immoral or improper way : rake
5
: members of a team, staff, or organization : personnel
a company in need of new blood
6
informal : an African American male
used especially among Black people

blood

2 of 2

verb

blooded; blooding; bloods

transitive verb

1
: to stain or wet with blood
2
archaic : bleed sense 1
3
: to expose (a hunting dog) to sight, scent, or taste of the blood of its prey
4
: to give experience to
troops blooded in battle
Phrases
in one's blood
: ingrained in one's nature : occurring as an innate or seemingly hereditary principle, inclination, or talent
with two parents who are painters, art is in her blood

Examples of blood in a Sentence

Noun The accident victim has already lost a lot of blood. the blood in your veins
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For Reece family, politics is in the blood Alicia Reece's career has long been an intersection of government and tourism. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 When valves inside of the veins of the leg fail, blood flows in the wrong direction and pools in the lower leg, causing pressure within the veins of the leg to increase (venous hypertension). Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 Nathaniel Rowland had a significant amount of blood on his shorts, t-shirt, hands, face and hair when Detective Sullivan encountered him. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2024 Reid was driving 83 mph two seconds before the collision and had a serum blood alcohol content of 0.113 about two hours after the crash, prosecutors said. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2024 Authorities have served search warrants at Vo’s home and discovered blood, but are still testing to see if it can be tied to the victims, multiple law enforcement sources said. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 The reason nitrites cause migraine could come down to their effect on blood flow, Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU, told Verywell. Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 4 Mar. 2024 Animals dying slowly and painfully from starvation, dehydration, asphyxiation and blood loss. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 Most of these services were located in buildings near the former hospital — blood draws could be done in the hospital — in the village's downtown. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Lately, coach Carlo Ancelotti has decided against blooding players from the Castilla youth setup, namely Álvaro Rodríguez, Sergio Arribas, Carlos Dotor, and Nico Paz, like in the loss to Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián on Tuesday. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 4 May 2023 But why would blood even travel that long via drone, anyways? Lauren Sigfusson, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2017 Having a hepatitis B or C infection can also be a trigger, as can blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 8 Aug. 2022 Haji believes Vipingo Ridge's efforts to blood the next generation of golfing talent are reflective of the sport's increasing popularity in Kenya. Jack Bantock, CNN, 6 May 2022 How long after getting the J&J vaccine can blood clots occur? Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2021 The challenge of 2020 will be starting to blood them in the big leagues without overwhelming them, allowing the players to finish their development at a reasonable pace. Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, 7 Apr. 2021 Some COVID-19 patients have been found to have blood oxygen levels below 65%. Mark Johnson, USA TODAY, 18 May 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English blōd; akin to Old High German bluot blood

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blood was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near blood

Cite this Entry

“Blood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blood. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

blood

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the red fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal and that brings nourishment and oxygen to and carries away waste products from all parts of the body
b
: a fluid resembling blood
2
a
: lineage sense 2, descent
especially : royal lineage
b
: relationship through a common ancestor : kinship
3

blood

2 of 2 verb
: to give experience to
Etymology

Noun

Old English blōd "blood"

Verb

from an earlier sense, meaning "to smear the face of an inexperienced fox hunter with blood of the fox killed on his first hunt"

Medical Definition

blood

noun
1
: the fluid that circulates in the heart, arteries, capillaries, and veins of a vertebrate animal carrying nourishment and oxygen to and bringing away waste products from all parts of the body
2
: a fluid of an invertebrate comparable to blood
3
: the one of the four humors (see humor sense 2) in ancient and medieval physiology that was believed to be hot and moist and to cause cheerfulness and optimism

More from Merriam-Webster on blood

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