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Synonyms

bleed

American  
[bleed] / blid /

verb (used without object)

bled, bleeding
  1. to lose blood from the vascular system, either internally into the body or externally through a natural orifice or break in the skin.

    to bleed from the mouth.

  2. (of injured tissue, excrescences, etc.) to exude blood.

    a wart that is bleeding.

  3. (of a plant) to exude sap, resin, etc., from a wound.

  4. (of dye or paint) to run or become diffused.

    All the colors bled when the dress was washed.

  5. (of a liquid) to ooze or flow out.

  6. to feel pity, sorrow, or anguish.

    My heart bleeds for you. A nation bleeds for its dead heroes.

  7. to suffer wounds or death, as in battle.

    The soldiers bled for the cause.

  8. (of a broadcast signal) to interfere with another signal.

    CB transmissions bleeding over into walkie-talkies.

  9. Printing. (of printed matter) to run off the edges of a page, either by design or through mutilation caused by too close trimming.

  10. Slang. to pay out money, as when overcharged or threatened with extortion.

  11. Metallurgy. (of a cooling ingot or casting) to have molten metal force its way through the solidified exterior because of internal gas pressure.


verb (used with object)

bled, bleeding
  1. to cause to lose blood, especially surgically.

    Doctors no longer bleed their patients to reduce fever.

  2. to lose or emit (blood or sap).

  3. to drain or draw sap, water, electricity, etc., from (something).

    to bleed a pipeline of excess air.

  4. to remove trapped air from (as an automotive brake system) by opening a bleeder valve.

  5. to obtain an excessive amount from; extort money from.

  6. Printing.

    1. to permit (printed illustrations or ornamentation) to run off the page or sheet.

    2. to trim the margin of (a book or sheet) so closely as to mutilate the text or illustration.

noun

  1. Printing.

    1. a sheet or page margin trimmed so as to mutilate the text or illustration.

    2. a part thus trimmed off.

  2. Medicine/Medical. an instance of bleeding; hemorrhage.

    an intracranial bleed.

adjective

  1. Printing. characterized by bleeding.

    a bleed page.

verb phrase

  1. bleed off to draw or extract.

    to bleed off sap from a maple tree; to bleed off static electricity.

idioms

  1. bleed white. white.

bleed British  
/ bliːd /

verb

  1. (intr) to lose or emit blood

  2. (tr) to remove or draw blood from (a person or animal)

  3. (intr) to be injured or die, as for a cause or one's country

  4. (of plants) to exude (sap or resin), esp from a cut

  5. informal (tr) to obtain relatively large amounts of money, goods, etc, esp by extortion

  6. (tr) to draw liquid or gas from (a container or enclosed system)

    to bleed the hydraulic brakes

  7. (intr) (of dye or paint) to run or become mixed, as when wet

  8. to print or be printed so that text, illustrations, etc, run off the trimmed page

  9. (tr) to trim (the edges of a printed sheet) so closely as to cut off some of the printed matter

  10. (intr) civil engineering building trades (of a mixture) to exude (a liquid) during compaction, such as water from cement

  11. to extort gradually all the resources of a person or thing

  12. used to express sympathetic grief, but often used ironically

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. printing

    1. an illustration or sheet trimmed so that some matter is bled

    2. ( as modifier )

      a bleed page

  2. printing the trimmings of a sheet that has been bled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
bleed More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing bleed


Other Word Forms

  • outbleed verb (used with object)
  • unbled adjective

Etymology

Origin of bleed

before 1000; Middle English bleden, Old English blēdan, derivative of blōd blood

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr Pearson also suggests bleeding radiators to remove trapped air and maintain even distribution of heat.

From BBC

The topic is often discussed in cricket in relation to menstrual bleeding and players wearing whites for Test matches.

From BBC

“We’re also increasingly in a media landscape that is paying more and more attention to these creators, and it’s bleeding into traditional media,” says Sarah Mathews, a digital talent agent at UTA.

From Los Angeles Times

“I have gone through a whole variety of kids’ music like ‘Baby Shark’ that always made my ears bleed,” she joked.

From The Wall Street Journal

It can lead to serious health problems including infections, bleeding, infertility and complications in childbirth.

From Barron's