blood tax

noun

A tax paid by bloodshed; especially, a derogatory term for military conscription.

“"France is the mother of Conscription. What has she gained by that blood-tax?"”

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Meanings

nounblood tax (plural blood taxes)

plural blood taxes · alternative blood-tax

  1. A tax paid by bloodshed; especially, a derogatory term for military conscription.

    "France is the mother of Conscription. What has she gained by that blood-tax?"

    2 more examples

    "I appeal to the working men of Great Britain..not to be misled by catch-phrases about ‘the liberty of the subject’ and the ridiculous cant about a ‘Blood Tax’!"

    "They would have paid their blood-tax, done their own part in the immemorial human warfare against nature."

Translations

Portuguese imposto de sangue
  • imposto de sanguea tax paid by bloodshed; especially, a derogatory term for military conscription
Cite this entry
APA

blood tax. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blood%20tax

MLA

“blood tax.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blood%20tax. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “blood tax,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/blood%20tax.

Source: blood tax on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.