To let blood

Blood Blood (bl[u^]d), n. [OE. blod, blood, AS. bl[=o]d; akin to D. bloed, OHG. bluot, G. blut, Goth. bl[=o][thorn], Icel. bl[=o][eth], Sw. & Dan. blod; prob. fr. the same root as E. blow to bloom. See {Blow} to bloom.] 1. The fluid which circulates in the principal vascular system of animals, carrying nourishment to all parts of the body, and bringing away waste products to be excreted. See under {Arterial}. [1913 Webster]

Note: The blood consists of a liquid, the plasma, containing minute particles, the blood corpuscles. In the invertebrate animals it is usually nearly colorless, and contains only one kind of corpuscles; but in all vertebrates, except Amphioxus, it contains some colorless corpuscles, with many more which are red and give the blood its uniformly red color. See {Corpuscle}, {Plasma}. [1913 Webster]

2. Relationship by descent from a common ancestor; consanguinity; kinship. [1913 Webster]

To share the blood of Saxon royalty. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

A friend of our own blood. --Waller. [1913 Webster]

{Half blood} (Law), relationship through only one parent.

{Whole blood}, relationship through both father and mother. In American Law, blood includes both half blood, and whole blood. --Bouvier. --Peters. [1913 Webster]

3. Descent; lineage; especially, honorable birth; the highest royal lineage. [1913 Webster]

Give us a prince of blood, a son of Priam. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

I am a gentleman of blood and breeding. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

4. (Stock Breeding) Descent from parents of recognized breed; excellence or purity of breed. [1913 Webster]

Note: In stock breeding half blood is descent showing one half only of pure breed. Blue blood, full blood, or warm blood, is the same as blood. [1913 Webster]

5. The fleshy nature of man. [1913 Webster]

Nor gives it satisfaction to our blood. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

6. The shedding of blood; the taking of life, murder; manslaughter; destruction. [1913 Webster]

So wills the fierce, avenging sprite, Till blood for blood atones. --Hood. [1913 Webster]

7. A bloodthirsty or murderous disposition. [R.] [1913 Webster]

He was a thing of blood, whose every motion Was timed with dying cries. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

8. Temper of mind; disposition; state of the passions; -- as if the blood were the seat of emotions. [1913 Webster]

When you perceive his blood inclined to mirth. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Note: Often, in this sense, accompanied with bad, cold, warm, or other qualifying word. Thus, to commit an act in cold blood, is to do it deliberately, and without sudden passion; to do it in bad blood, is to do it in anger. Warm blood denotes a temper inflamed or irritated. To warm or heat the blood is to excite the passions. Qualified by up, excited feeling or passion is signified; as, my blood was up. [1913 Webster]

9. A man of fire or spirit; a fiery spark; a gay, showy man; a rake. [1913 Webster]

Seest thou not . . . how giddily 'a turns about all the hot bloods between fourteen and five and thirty? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

It was the morning costume of a dandy or blood. --Thackeray. [1913 Webster]

10. The juice of anything, especially if red. [1913 Webster]

He washed . . . his clothes in the blood of grapes. --Gen. xiix. 11. [1913 Webster]

Note: Blood is often used as an adjective, and as the first part of self-explaining compound words; as, blood-bespotted, blood-bought, blood-curdling, blood-dyed, blood-red, blood-spilling, blood-stained, blood-warm, blood-won. [1913 Webster]

{Blood baptism} (Eccl. Hist.), the martyrdom of those who had not been baptized. They were considered as baptized in blood, and this was regarded as a full substitute for literal baptism.

{Blood blister}, a blister or bleb containing blood or bloody serum, usually caused by an injury.

{Blood brother}, brother by blood or birth.

{Blood clam} (Zo["o]l.), a bivalve mollusk of the genus Arca and allied genera, esp. {Argina pexata} of the American coast. So named from the color of its flesh.

{Blood corpuscle}. See {Corpuscle}.

{Blood crystal} (Physiol.), one of the crystals formed by the separation in a crystalline form of the h[ae]moglobin of the red blood corpuscles; h[ae]matocrystallin. All blood does not yield blood crystals.

{Blood heat}, heat equal to the temperature of human blood, or about 981/2 [deg] Fahr.

{Blood horse}, a horse whose blood or lineage is derived from the purest and most highly prized origin or stock.

{Blood money}. See in the Vocabulary.

{Blood orange}, an orange with dark red pulp.

{Blood poisoning} (Med.), a morbid state of the blood caused by the introduction of poisonous or infective matters from without, or the absorption or retention of such as are produced in the body itself; tox[ae]mia.

{Blood pudding}, a pudding made of blood and other materials.

{Blood relation}, one connected by blood or descent.

{Blood spavin}. See under {Spavin}.

{Blood vessel}. See in the Vocabulary.

{Blue blood}, the blood of noble or aristocratic families, which, according to a Spanish prover, has in it a tinge of blue; -- hence, a member of an old and aristocratic family.

{Flesh and blood}. (a) A blood relation, esp. a child. (b) Human nature.

{In blood} (Hunting), in a state of perfect health and vigor. --Shak.

{To let blood}. See under {Let}.

{Prince of the blood}, the son of a sovereign, or the issue of a royal family. The sons, brothers, and uncles of the sovereign are styled princes of the blood royal; and the daughters, sisters, and aunts are princesses of the blood royal. [1913 Webster]