# bloodletting

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #59,233

## Definitions
1. The archaic practice of treating illness by removing some blood, believed to be tainted, from the stricken person.
2. The diminishment of any resource with the hope that this will lead to a positive effect.
3. A circumstance, such as a battle, where a large amount of blood is likely to be spilled through violence.

## Etymology
From blood + letting, equal to bloodlet + -ing.

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