bloodstream

noun

blood·​stream ˈbləd-ˌstrēm 

1

: the flowing blood in a circulatory system

2

: a mainstream of power or vitality

… introduce into the economic bloodstream a large amount of money …

—Harper's

Examples of bloodstream in a Sentence

The drug is now entering the bloodstream.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sore can lead to an infection that may enter the bloodstream and become sepsis, a potentially deadly condition. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026

Chemical sunscreen filters have been shown to absorb into the bloodstream at measurable levels. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 30 July 2026

This is especially notable given that the bloodstream is one of the major pathways for cancerous cells to spread. — Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 29 July 2026

Thanks to a single misspelled letter of DNA, their livers produce a mutant version of a protein that normally travels through the bloodstream and protects the lung from damage. — Jason Mastjuly 28, STAT, 28 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bloodstream

• abeam
• airstream
• daydream
• downstream
• esteem
• extreme
• grapheme
• hakim
• hornbeam
• lexeme
• mainstream
• midstream

Kids Definition

bloodstream

noun

blood·​stream -ˌstrēm 

: the flowing blood in a living thing with a circulatory system

Medical Definition

bloodstream

noun

blood·​stream -ˌstrēm 

: the flowing blood in a circulatory system