flesh and blood
- offspring or relatives: one's own flesh and blood.
- the human body or nature: more than flesh and blood can endure.
Show More
Origin of flesh and blood
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for flesh and blood
Contemporary Examples
That even in 2014—the era of EDM and “selfie pop”—a small, live, flesh-and-blood band could still be (and have) so much fun.
Beck’s Musical Time Machine: This Wasn’t a Concert. It was a Spectacular Party.Andrew Romano
April 18, 2014
However, she soon discovers that Linda is a mentally unstable woman who believes a baby doll is a flesh-and-blood child.
Jessica Biel on ‘The Truth About Emanuel,’ Motherhood, Justin Timberlake, and MoreMarlow Stern
January 7, 2014
It's also a lot easier to find another job if you have flesh-and-blood friends in the industry.
By excluding business income taxes, our picture is more narrowly focused on flesh-and-blood people.
His challenge to use this week to cast the race as between two flesh-and-blood men, not the apparition of 2008.
Historical Examples
People in love are rarely interesting--that is, flesh-and-blood people.
Questionable ShapesWilliam Dean Howells
For the possession of a flesh-and-blood god, he exchanged his own liberty.
White FangJack London
To him she was an ideal of womanhood rather than a flesh-and-blood woman.
Sketches in Lavender, Blue and GreenJerome K. Jerome
“Me,” the flesh-and-blood Francis Pfleuger said, pointing proudly at the statue.
The Servant ProblemRobert F. Young
It never for a moment struck me that it was not a flesh-and-blood visitant.
True Ghost StoriesHereward Carrington
Idioms and Phrases with flesh and blood
flesh and blood
1
Human beings, especially with respect to their failings or weaknesses. For example, I can't do everything—I'm only flesh and blood. [c. 1600]
Show More
2
one's own flesh and blood. One's blood relatives, kin, as in She can't cut her own flesh and blood out of her will. [c. 1300]
Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.