flesh and blood
Americannoun
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offspring or relatives.
one's own flesh and blood.
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the human body or nature.
more than flesh and blood can endure.
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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]
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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]
Etymology
Origin of flesh and blood
First recorded in 1200–50
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.
‘You’re my flesh and blood. You are the most important person in my life.’
From Literature
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‘My own sister. My own flesh and blood betrayed me.’
From Literature
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You’re my flesh and blood, my beating heart.
From Literature
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Working in tandem with the director, a casting director “provides the flesh and blood, human elements of the film,” Gold writes in an email about the nature of the gig — identifying “one sole person to play each role, out of boundless possibilities.”
From Los Angeles Times
“It is as if the demands of his spirit were too extreme for flesh and blood,” Ms. Marcus intones.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.