blood

plural bloods · alternative obsolete bloud · alternative obsolete bloode · alternative bl00d

1. countableuncountableA vital liquid flowing in the bodies of many types of animals that usually conveys nutrients and oxygen. In vertebrates, it is colored red by hemoglobin, is conveyed by arteries and veins, is pumped by the heart and is usually generated in bone marrow.

   Some insects are known for consuming blood.

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   Blood started to spurt out of his hand due to the wound.

   It cannot be denied it [the chameleon] is (if not the moſt of any) a very abſtemious animall, and ſuch as by reaſon of its frigidity, paucity of bloud, and latitancy in the winter (about which time the obſervations are often made) will long ſubſist without a viſible ſuſtentation.

   1650, Thomas Browne, “Of the Cameleon”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: […], 2nd edition, London: […] A[braham] Miller, for Edw[ard] Dod and Nath[aniel] Ekins, […], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 133

   The case was that of a murder. It had an element of mystery about it, however, which was puzzling the authorities. A turban and loincloth soaked in blood had been found; also a staff.

   1927, F. E. Penny, chapter 4, in Pulling the Strings

   An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.

   2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8838, page 5 (Technology Quarterly)

2. countableuncountableA family relationship due to birth, such as that between siblings; contrasted with relationships due to marriage or adoption. See blood relative, blood relation.

   a friend of our own blood

   1690, Edmund Waller, The Maid's Tragedy Altered

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   to share the blood of Saxon royalty

   1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC

   TASHA: The captain wants those two taken into custody. // KORRIS: Do not let them take us, Worf. Help us. // KONMEL: Listen to the voice of your blood. You are not "of" these people.

   1988 March 21, Heart of Glory (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Science Fiction), Paramount Domestic Television, →OCLC

   Synonyms: background, descent, heritage, stock

3. uncountableA person or people related to one by birth; one's biological relative or relatives.

   She may not be my blood, but we grew up together, and as far as I'm concerned she's my sister.

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   An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, / An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood an' kin; / An' onc't when they was "company," an' ole folks was there, / She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!

   1885, James Whitcomb Riley, Little Orphant Annie

4. countablehistoricaluncountableOne of the four humours in the human body.
5. countableuncountableThe endometrial lining as it is shed in menstruation; menstrual fluid or period blood.
6. countableinformalmedicineA blood test or blood sample.

   When I got Bilbo to their surgery the vet took Bilbo in for tests. […] His bloods showed nothing wrong at all.

   2016, Steve Jamieson, Bilbo the Lifeguard Dog

7. countableuncountableThe sap or juice which flows in or from plants.

   Look at a leaf. On it are many little raised lines which reach out to all parts of the leaf and back to the stem and twig. These are "veins," full of the tree's blood. It is white and looks very much like water; [...]

   1916, John Gordon Dorrance, The Story of the Forest, page 44

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   It is no tautology to call the blood of the grape red or purple, because the juice of that fruit was sometimes white and sometimes black or dark. The arterial blood of our bodies is red, but the venous is called "black blood."

   1841, Benjamin Parsons, Anti-Bacchus, page 95

   Disbudding is merely a species of pruning, and should be done as soon as the lateral buds begin to develop on the cane. It diverts the flow of the plant's blood from many buds into one or a few, thus increasing the size of the flower, [...]

   1901, Levi Leslie Lamborn, American Carnation Culture, fourth edition, page 57

8. countablepoeticuncountableThe juice of anything, especially if red.

   He washed[…]his clothes in the blood of grapes.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Genesis 49:11

9. countableuncountableA temper of mind; a disposition; a mood.

   When thou perceive his blood inclined to mirth

   c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

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   Hath Cassius liu'd / To be but Mirth and Laughter to his Brutus, / When greefe and blood ill temper'd, vexeth him?

   1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

   There was some little undefinable coolness between old General Chattesworth and Devereux. He admired the young fellow, and he liked good blood in his corps, but somehow he was glad when he thought he was likely to go. When old Bligh, of the Magazine, commended the handsome young dog's good looks, the general would grow grave all at once […]

   1863, J[oseph] Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Church-yard. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Tinsley, Brothers, […], →OCLC

10. countableobsoleteuncountableA lively, showy man; a rake; a dandy.

    […] it was the morning costume of a dandy or blood of those days […]

    1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 3, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC

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    Seest thou not[…]how giddily 'a turns about all the hot bloods between fourteen and five and thirty?

    1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii]

    Synonyms: fop, popinjay, barbermonger, beau, blade, buck, carpet knight, cockscomb

11. countableuncountableA blood horse, one of good pedigree.
12. countablefigurativelyuncountableBloodshed.

    They came looking for blood.

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    Our Father’s Death Would fill up all the Guilt of Civil War, And cloſe the Scene of Blood.

    1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 1

    Under Henry III. Amboise ceased to be a slaughter-house, as in the preceding reign, but it remained a sort of state prison. It is related that Anne d'Este of Ferrara, wife of Duc de Guise, while assisting once at a series of executions out of the windows of the castle with Catherine de Medicis, suddenly overcome by the horror of the spectacle, turned away, exclaiming passionately, "Ah Madame! how all this blood calls out for blood! what vengeance is being prepared! May God have pity on your sons and on mine!"

    1873, The Monthly Packet of Evening Readings for Members of the English Church, page 31

    He watched out for the men in his unit, for the one woman who had saved them so many years ago when they were still raw teens out for blood and revenge on the world, and he watched out for anyone else they stumbled across in their lives that needed protection.

    2007, Christine Feehan, Deadly Game, Penguin, →ISBN, page 55

    The standard assessment suggests that as the munera became purely a spectacle, they became more murderous because the public wanted to see blood. That the people of Rome were able to indulge this degenerate desire was merely due to the degraded status of the professional gladiator.

    2010, Alison Futrell, Blood in the Arena: The Spectacle of Roman Power, University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 169

13. countableuncountableespecially African-American VernacularA friend or acquaintance, especially one who is black and male.
14. countableuncountableAlternative letter-case form of Blood (“a member of a certain gang”).
15. Multicultural London EnglishUKalternativecountableslanguncountableAlternative form of blud (“an informal address to a male.”).

    Blood I swear she just gave man extra chicken? Two fat pieces of chicken.

    2017, Joseph Barnes Phillips, Big Foot ...and Tiny Little Heartstrings

16. UScountableslanguncountableLean, especially that is red.

present singular third person bloods · participle present blooding · participle past blooded · past blooded · alternative obsolete bloud · alternative obsolete bloode · alternative bl00d

1. transitiveTo cause something to be covered with blood; to bloody.

   The French gentleman and Mr Adderly, at the desire of their commanding officer, had raised up the body of Jones, but as they could perceive but little (if any) sign of life in him, they again let him fall, Adderly damning him for having blooded his wastecoat […]

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

2. historicalmedicineTo let blood (from); to bleed.

   On Sᵗ Stephens day the Farrier came constantly and blouded all the Cart-horses.

   1687, John Aubrey, Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme, page 27

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   Mr Western, who imputed these symptoms in his daughter to her fall, advised her to be presently blooded by way of prevention.

   1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 121

   She had been blooded, he said, 12 times in this last fortnight, and had lost 75 ounces of blood, besides undergoing blistering,and other discipline.

   1785, Frances Burney, Journals & Letters, Penguin, published 2001, page 212

3. transitiveTo initiate into warfare or a blood sport, traditionally by smearing with the blood of the first kill witnessed.

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   Roberts-Smith and his commander had made it clear the "rookie" needed to kill someone to truly become part of the squadron. They called it a "blooding". The assault patrols cleared the compound known as Whiskey 108 and declared it secure. An opportunity for a blooding emerged when a hidden tunnel was discovered in a courtyard. Inside, two Afghan men were found hiding.

   2026 April 7, Michael Bachelard, “Kill boards, trophy hunting and 'blooding': What courts have already heard about Ben Roberts-Smith's alleged crimes”, in The Sydney Morning Herald

4. obsoletetransitiveTo make eager for bloodshed or combat; to incite or enrage against.First known use 1622–1780

plural Bloods

1. abbreviationShort for Blood Indian.

1. A surname.

plural Bloods · alternative blood · alternative Internet 🅱 · alternative Internet 🅱️

1. A member of the Los Angeles gang the Bloods, who typically wear red and have an intense and bitter rivalry with the Crips.

   My union with the neighborhood kids teaches me Bloods don't say or write words starting with c's. This is how Bloods disrespect Crips. They replace all c's with k's or b's and cross out all remaining c's in the word.

   2009, DaShaun "Jiwe" Morris, War of the Bloods in My Veins