blood money

American  

noun

1. a fee paid to a hired murderer.

2. compensation paid to the next of kin of a slain person.

3. money obtained ruthlessly and at a cost of suffering to others.

4. money paid to an informer in order to cause somebody to be arrested, convicted, or especially executed.

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blood money British  

noun

1. compensation paid to the relatives of a murdered person

2. money paid to a hired murderer

3. a reward for information about a criminal, esp a murderer

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Example Sentences

What, Mr. President, did you do with all that blood money, and why did you ever think it was fine to accept it in the first place?

From Salon

For months, Nimisha's relatives and supporters have been trying to do this by raising diyah, or blood money, to be paid to Mahdi's family, and negotiations have been going on.

From BBC

Calling it blood money, he uses it only to fund his inchoate plan to crush the Squid Game.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s all blood money, and unfortunately I had to join the jackals,” Simpson told The Associated Press at the time.

From Seattle Times

But as Yemen follows Sharia law, the court gave her one last option of escaping death - she can secure a pardon from the victim's family by paying diyah or "blood money".

From BBC