blood

1 of 2

noun

ˈbləd 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• clan
• family
• folks
• house
• kin
• kindred
• kinfolk
• kinfolks
• kinsfolk
• line
• lineage
• people
• race
• stock
• tribe

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

At least 90ml of urine is required in the company of a chaperone for the most common analysis, but blood samples can also be taken. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 20 June 2025

But blood samples on record were subsequently tested and found to have antibodies against the parasite, suggesting an infection. —ArsTechnica, 20 June 2025

Verb

Everybody has to be blooded up to go off the yard in the feds. —Bob Guccione Jr., SPIN, 11 Feb. 2025

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

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

Phrases Containing blood

• ABO blood group
• bad blood
• bay for blood
• blood-and-guts
• blood bank
• blood-borne
• blood-brain barrier
• blood brother
• blood cell
• blood clot
• blood count
• blood doping
• blood feud
• blood fluke
• blood group
• blood heat
• blood is thicker than water
• blood is up
• blood money
• blood moon
• blood on one's hands
• blood orange
• blood plasma
• blood platelet
• blood poisoning
• blood pressure
• blood relation
• blood relative
• blood sausage
• blood serum
• blood sport
• blood sugar
• blood test
• blood thinner
• blood transfusion
• blood typing
• blood vessel
• blood work
• blood worm
• blue blood
• by blood
• corruption of blood
• donate/give blood
• dragon's blood
• draw blood
• flesh and blood
• fresh blood
• full-blood
• half blood
• high blood pressure
• in cold blood
• low blood pressure
• make someone's blood boil
• make someone's blood curdle
• make someone's blood run cold
• new blood
• out for blood
• pure-blood
• red blood cell
• red blood corpuscle
• related by blood
• shed blood
• smell blood
• spit blood/venom
• sweat blood
• taste blood
• the blood drained from someone's face
• white blood cell

Rhymes for blood

• bud
• crud
• dud
• flood
• mud
• rud
• scud
• spud
• stud
• thud
• lifeblood
• youngblood

Kids Definition

blood

1 of 2 noun

ˈbləd 

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

: temper entry 2 sense 3d

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

ˈbləd 

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