# blood

> English word · Noun · IPA /blʌd/ · frequency rank #823

## Definitions
1. A 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.
2. A family relationship due to birth, such as that between siblings; contrasted with relationships due to marriage or adoption. See blood relative, blood relation.
3. One of the four humours in the human body.
4. The endometrial lining as it is shed in menstruation; menstrual fluid or period blood.
5. A blood test or blood sample.
6. The sap or juice which flows in or from plants.
7. The juice of anything, especially if red.
8. A temper of mind; a disposition; a mood.
9. A lively, showy man; a rake; a dandy.
10. A blood horse, one of good pedigree.
11. Bloodshed.
12. A friend or acquaintance, especially one who is black and male.
13. Alternative letter-case form of Blood (“a member of a certain gang”).
14. Alternative form of blud (“an informal address to a male.”).
15. Lean, especially that is red.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃-?
Proto-Germanic *blōþą
Proto-West Germanic *blōd
Old English blōd
Middle English blood
English blood
From Middle English blood, from Old English blōd, from Proto-West Germanic *blōd, from Proto-Germanic *blōþą, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ("to swell") + -ó- (thematic vowel) + -to (nominalizer), i.e. "that which bursts out".
Cognate with Scots blude, bluid (“blood”), North Frisian blud, blödj, Blör (“blood”), Saterland Frisian Bloud (“blood”), West Frisian bloed (“blood”), Cimbrian pluat, pluut (“blood”), Dutch bloed (“blood”), German Blut (“blood”), German Low German Blood, Bloot (“blood”), Luxembourgish Blutt (“blood”), Vilamovian błüt (“blood”), Yiddish בלוט (blut, “blood”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish blod (“blood”), Faroese and Icelandic blóð (“blood”), Crimean Gothic plut (“blood”), Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐍉𐌸 (blōþ, “blood”).

## Easily confused with
- **boo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boo)
- **bod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-bod)
- **book** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-book)
- **blow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-blow)
- **bond** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-bond)
- **boom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boom)
- **bold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-bold)
- **boot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boot)
- **Boyd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boyd)
- **boon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boon)
- **boob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boob)
- **blot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-blot)
- **boos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boos)
- **boop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-boop)
- **broad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-broad)
- **blown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-blown)
- **blows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-blows)
- **bloom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-bloom)
- **brook** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-brook)
- **broom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blood-vs-broom)

## Common misspellings (7)
`bblood`, `bllood`, `blod`, `blodo`, `bloodd`, `bolod`, `lbood`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/blood