Etymology : Middle English bleden, from Old English blEdan, from blOd blood
Pronunciation : blEd
Function : verb
Date : before 12th century
1. discharge blood; discharge fluid; extract blood; extract fluid; blackmail, extort money; feel sympathy; ooze, flow; print a page so that an image runs off at least one side of the page after trimming. bleed\bleed\ , v. i. [imp. & p. p. bled ; p. pr. & vb. n. bleeding.] [oe. bleden, as. bl dan, fr. bl d blood; akin to sw. bl?da, dan. bl?de, d. bloeden, g. bluten. see:
blood.].
2. to emit blood; to lose blood; to run with blood, by whatever means; as, the arm bleeds; the wound bled freely; to bleed at the nose.
3. to withdraw blood from the body; to let blood; as, dr. a. bleeds in fevers.
4. to lose or shed one's blood, as in case of a violent death or severe wounds; to die by violence. "c?sar must bleed." the lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day.
5. to issue forth, or drop, as blood from an incision. for me the balm shall bleed.
6. to lose sap, gum, or juice; as, a tree or a vine bleeds when tapped or wounded.
7. to pay or lose money; to have money drawn or extorted; as, to bleed freely for a cause. [colloq.].
8. To emit blood; to lose blood; to run with blood, by whatever means; as, the arm bleeds; the wound bled freely; to bleed at the nose.
9. To withdraw blood from the body; to let blood; as, Dr.
10. A. bleeds in fevers.
11. To lose or shed one's blood, as in case of a violent death or severe wounds; to die by violence.
12. To issue forth, or drop, as blood from an incision.
13. To lose sap, gum, or juice; as, a tree or a vine bleeds when tapped or wounded.
14. To pay or lose money; to have money drawn or extorted; as, to bleed freely for a cause.
15. To let blood from; to take or draw blood from, as by opening a vein.
16. To lose, as blood; to emit or let drop, as sap.
17. To draw money from ; to induce to pay; as, they bled him freely for this fund. draw blood; "In the old days, doctors routinely bled patients as part of the treatment" drain of liquid or steam; "bleed the radiators"; "the mechanic bled the engine" get or extort from someone; "They bled me dry--I have nothing left!".
18. 1. When you bleed, you lose blood from your body as a result of injury or illness. His head had struck the sink and was bleeding She's going to bleed to death! + bleeding bleed·ing This results in internal bleeding.
19. If the colour of one substance bleeds into the colour of another substance that it is touching, it goes into the other thing so that its colour changes in an undesirable way. The colouring pigments from the skins are not allowed to bleed into the grape juice.
20. disapproval If someone is being bled, money or other resources are gradually being taken away from them. We have been gradually bled for twelve years They mean to bleed the British to the utmost. see also:
nosebleed.