bloodline

[bluhd-lahyn]

noun

1. (usually of animals) the line of descent; pedigree; strain.

bloodline

/ ˈblʌdˌlaɪn /

noun

1. all the members of a family group over generations, esp regarding characteristics common to that group; pedigree

Word History and Origins

Origin of bloodline¹

First recorded in 1905–10; blood + line ¹

Example Sentences

The first in her bloodline to graduate high school, Straight earned an MFA at the University of Massachusetts and brought it home to UC Riverside, where she’s been teaching creative writing since 1988.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A percentage of babies born every day will manifest queer characteristics, and though countless strongmen have left fields of carnage in attempts to manage so-called bloodlines, nobody can override such DNA destiny.

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The show reinforces the theme of passing down knowledge and power through bloodlines, as Wednesday comes to rely on her mother’s guidance and the family history that shapes her supernatural journey.

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The Kim family, who have ruled North Korea since 1948, tell citizens they hail from a sacred bloodline, meaning only they can lead the country.

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To white Americans with old money bloodlines, a family tree linked to the American Revolution era carries substantial weight.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• genealogy 
• lineage 
• parentage 
• pedigree