bloodletting

[ bluhd-let-ing ]
/ ˈblʌdˌlɛt ɪŋ /

noun

the act or practice of letting blood by opening a vein; phlebotomy.
bloodshed or slaughter.
bloodbath.
Informal. severe cutbacks or reduction in personnel, appropriations, etc.: The company went through a period of bloodletting in the 1970s.

Origin of bloodletting

First recorded in 1175–1225, bloodletting is from the Middle English word blod letunge. See blood, let1, -ing1

OTHER WORDS FROM bloodletting

blood·let·ter, noun

Words nearby bloodletting

bloodguilty, bloodhound, blooding, bloodless, bloodless operation, bloodletting, bloodline, bloodmobile, bloodnoun, bloodroot, bloodshed

Example sentences from the Web for blood-letting

British Dictionary definitions for blood-letting

blood-letting
/ (ˈblʌdˌlɛtɪŋ) /

noun

the therapeutic removal of blood, as in relieving congestive heart failure See also phlebotomy
bloodshed, esp in a blood feud

Medical definitions for blood-letting

bloodletting
[ blŭd′lĕt′ĭng ]

n.

The therapeutic removal of blood, usually from a vein.

Other words from bloodletting

blood′let′ter n.