Added 10 October 2026
bloodletting
noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). More about bloodletting at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- The archaic practice of treating illness by removing some blood, believed to be tainted, from the stricken person.
-
The diminishment of any resource with the hope that this will lead to a positive effect.
Yet another round of corporate bloodletting.
- A circumstance, such as a battle, where a large amount of blood is likely to be spilled through violence.
verb
- present participle and gerund of bloodlet
Origin
From blood + letting, equal to bloodlet + -ing.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)