blʌd n. & v. --n. 1 a
liquid, usually
red and circulating in
the arteries and veins of vertebrates,
that carries
oxygen to and
carbon dioxide from the tissues of the
body. 2 a corresponding
fluid in invertebrates. 3
bloodshed,
esp.
killing. 4
passion,
temperament. 5 race,
descent,
parentage (of the
same blood). 6 a
relationship; relations (own
flesh and blood; blood is thicker
than water). 7 a
dandy; a
man of
fashion. --v.tr. 1
give (a hound) a
first taste of blood. 2
initiate (a person) by
experience. øbad blood
ill feeling. blood-and-thunder (attrib.) colloq.
sensational, melodramatic. blood bank a
place where supplies of blood or
plasma for transfusion are stored. blood
bath a
massacre. blood-brother a
brother by
birth or by the
ceremonial mingling of blood. blood count 1 the counting of the
number of corpuscles in a
specific amount of blood. 2 the number
itself. blood-curdling horrifying. blood
donor one who gives blood for transfusion. blood feud a feud
between families involving killing or
injury. blood
group any one of the
various types of
human blood determining compatibility in transfusion. blood-heat the
normal body
temperature of a
healthy human
being,
about 37
ÛC or 98.4 ÛF. blood
horse a
thoroughbred. one's blood is up one is in a fighting mood. blood-letting 1 the
surgical removal of
some of a patient's blood. 2 joc. bloodshed. blood-lust the
desire for shedding blood. blood-money 1
money paid to the
next of
kin of a
person who
has been killed. 2 money paid to a hired murderer. 3 money paid for
information about a
murder or murderer. blood
orange an orange
with red or red-streaked
pulp. blood-poisoning a
diseased state caused by the
presence of micro-organisms in the blood. blood
pressure the pressure of the blood in the
circulatory system,
often measured for
diagnosis since it is closely
related to the force and rate of the
heartbeat and the
diameter and elasticity of the
arterial walls. blood-red red as blood. blood
relation (or relative) a
relative by blood,
not by
marriage. blood
royal the royal
family. blood
serum see SERUM. blood
sport sport involving the wounding or killing of animals, esp.
hunting. blood
sugar the amount of
glucose in the blood. blood test a
scientific examination of blood, esp. for diagnosis. blood transfusion the
injection of a
volume of blood, previously taken from a healthy person,
into a
patient. blood-vessel a
vein,
artery, or
capillary carrying blood. blood-wort any of various plants having red roots or
leaves, esp. the red-veined dock. first blood 1 the first shedding of blood, esp. in
boxing. 2 the first
point gained in a
contest etc. in one's blood
inherent in one's
character.
make one's blood boil
infuriate one. make one's blood
run cold horrify one.
new (or fresh) blood new members admitted to a group, esp. as an invigorating force. of the blood royal.
out for a person's blood set on getting
revenge. taste blood be stimulated by an
early success.
young blood 1 a younger
member or members of a group. 2 a rake or
fashionable young man. [OE blod f. Gmc]