bloodline

noun

blood·​line ˈbləd-ˌlīn How to pronounce bloodline (audio)
: a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree
also : family, strain

Examples of bloodline in a Sentence

came from a bloodline that could be traced back to the 12th century
Recent Examples on the Web But being barred from the Academy by the likes of Caroline Astor (Donna Murphy) has turned this into a vendetta, and as a chance to rebalance the scales of power in the city, so that money matters more than bloodlines. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2023 These are people who reject universalism—the conviction that certain ideas and principles have a universal value that transcends nations, borders, bloodlines. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2023 For his part, Dupin — whose history with the Ushers goes well beyond the courtroom — tries to unpack the mystery at the center of Roderick’s story: why the Usher bloodline seems to be rapidly dying out. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023 Since the Moscow water dog was a mix of Newfoundland and Caucasian shepherds, the military unsuccessfully attempted to mitigate their aggressive nature by breeding more Newfoundland into the bloodline, as their nature was gentler. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 5 Oct. 2023 In Maryam Keshavarz’s Sundance Audience Award winner The Persian Version, the choices, traumas and joys of multiple Iranian and Iranian American women are traced through a single bloodline. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2023 Taking good bikini pics must run in the Jenner bloodline. Briannah Rivera, Seventeen, 10 July 2023 The explosive back with impressive bloodlines — nephew of New York Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb — is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry for his career at ISU. Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, 7 Sep. 2023 The heavyweight indie label had famously introduced our species to Nirvana back in 1988, but by 1994, Sub Pop didn’t quite know how to describe their latest signees, Sunny Day Real Estate, a Seattle quartet that would soon become the most pivotal band in emo’s zigzag bloodline. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodline was in 1658

Dictionary Entries Near bloodline

Cite this Entry

“Bloodline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodline. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

bloodline

noun
blood·​line -ˌlīn How to pronounce bloodline (audio)
: a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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