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blood moon

American

[bluhd moon] / ˈblʌd ˌmun /

noun

a total lunar eclipse, during which a small amount of the sun’s light is refracted through the earth’s atmosphere, causing the blue wavelengths to scatter and allowing more of the red wavelengths to reach the moon.

Etymology

Origin of blood moon

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

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blood moon

A stunning "blood moon" was created as the Moon moved into Earth's shadow, gradually darkening before turning a dusky red.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025

The closer the moon is to the Earth during an eclipse, the redder it looks, making it a super blood moon.

From Slate ● Apr. 5, 2024

This is a total lunar eclipse, also known as a blood moon.

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2024

But blood moon has a heavier alternate meaning, Krupp said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

The dawn is angry crimson, and the sun—which has now risen enough to peer out from behind the mountains—is practically maroon, looking more like a blood moon than the sun.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023