bloodstream

American

[bluhd-streem] / ˈblʌdˌstrim /

noun

the blood flowing through a circulatory system.

bloodstream British

/ ˈblʌdˌstriːm /

noun

the flow of blood through the vessels of a living body

"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 bloodstream

First recorded in 1870–75; blood + stream

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.

By entering directly into the bloodstream, contaminated medicine can bypass the body's natural defences.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

It could not be toxic, enter the bloodstream, or cause discoloration of teeth.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

This response then drew additional immune cells from the bloodstream, including those marked by GZMK.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Some monitors there recorded levels of PM2.5 -- particles small enough to enter the bloodstream and linked to diseases like cancer -- of over 900 micrograms per cubic metre.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The significance of raclopride is that when it travels through the bloodstream into the brain—crossing the “blood-brain barrier”—it attaches to dopamine.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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