blood test

American

noun

a test of a sample of blood to determine blood group, presence of infection or other pathological condition, parentage, etc.

blood test British

noun

analysis of a blood sample to determine blood group, alcohol concentration, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of blood test

First recorded in 1910–15

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.

A blood test ordered in a 2016 paternity suit confirmed one of the children, an 11-year-old girl, was Elkins’s child, although she didn’t use his last name, court records show.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

The Sacramento district attorney’s office declined to file charges after a blood test showed there were no traces of drugs or alcohol in her system.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The blood test often costs less than $100 when paid for directly.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

The blood test searches for fragments of DNA – or genetic code – that have escaped from tumours and entered the bloodstream.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

I wonder if 1 can ask the doctor to do a blood test or something so that I can provide her with proof of my sobriety.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

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