bleed

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to lose blood from one's body

   I am bleeding.

2. 2
   verb

   to draw blood

   They bled me for the third time today.

3. 3
   verb

   to drain off liquid or steam

   We should bleed the radiators.

4. 4
   verb

   to be diffused

   The color bled through on the whites.

5. 5
   verb

   to get or extort money or other possessions from someone

   The ungrateful children bled their parents for pocket money.

6. 6
   verb

   To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.

   If her nose bleeds, try to use ice.

7. 7
   verb

   To menstruate.

   You haven't bled. It's been over a month since your arrival, and you haven't bled.

8. 8
   verb

   To let or draw blood from.

   "What did they die of?" I asked. "Fevers. The doctor came and bled them and purged them, but they still died." "He bled and purged babies?" "They were two and three. He said it would break the fever. And it did. But they ... they died anyway."

Etymology

From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōþijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläide (“to bleed”), West Frisian bliede (“to bleed”), Dutch bloeden (“to bleed”), Low German blöden (“to bleed”), German bluten (“to bleed”), Danish bløde (“to bleed”), Swedish blöda (“to bleed”).