Etymology From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōdijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläide (“to bleed”), West Frisian bliede (“to bleed”), Dutch bloeden (“to bleed”), Low German blöden (“to bleed”), German bluten (“to bleed”), Danish bløde (“to bleed”), Swedish blöda (“to bleed”).
Of a person To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.
Animal or body part
If her nose bleeds, try to use ice.
2
To menstruate.
You haven't bled. It's been over a month since your arrival, and you haven't bled.2020 December 25, Chris Van Dusen, “Diamond of the First Water”, in Bridgerton, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Lady Portia Featherington:
3
To let or draw blood from.
"What did they die of?" I asked. "Fevers. The doctor came and bled them and purged them, but they still died." "He bled and purged babies?" "They were two and three. He said it would break the fever. And it did. But they ... they died anyway."1979, Octavia E. Butler, Kindred, Beacon Press (2024), page 239:
4
To take large amounts of money from.
5
To steadily lose (something vital).
The company was bleeding talent.
6
Of an ink or dye To spread from the intended location and stain the surrounding cloth or paper.
Ink traps counteract bleeding.
The ink bled only a little; if one raised the index card to one’s eye, it was possible to see the microscopic wisps and flicks seep out from the intended lines and curves out into the paper’s grain.2020, Eley Williams, The Liarʼs Dictionary, William Heinemann, page 201:
7
To remove air bubbles from a pipe containing other fluids.
8
To tap off high-pressure gas (usually air) from a system that produces high-pressure gas primarily for another purpose.
At low engine speeds, valves open to bleed some of the highly-compressed air from the later compressor stages, helping to prevent engine surging.
High-pressure air bled from the APU is used to spin up the engines and run the APU generator and hydraulic pump, and can also be used to pressurise the cabin if necessary.
Full-page and double-page colour advertisements in the Sunday colour magazines usually bleed off the page' (or are 'bled to the margin'), […]1998, Macmillan Dictionary of Marketing and Advertising, page 35:
Too, bleeding beyond margins provides editors with several picas of space for more layout.2004, Dorothy A. Bowles, Diane L. Borden, Creative Editing, page 361:
Etymology From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōdijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläide (“to bleed”), West Frisian bliede (“to bleed”), Dutch bloeden (“to bleed”), Low German blöden (“to bleed”), German bluten (“to bleed”), Danish bløde (“to bleed”), Swedish blöda (“to bleed”).
When taking off at high altitude or at near-maximum weight, the bleeds have to be turned off temporarily, as they decrease engine power somewhat.
3
Media, Printing, Publishing A narrow edge around a page layout, to be printed but cut off afterwards (added to allow for slight misalignment, especially with pictures that should run to the edge of the finished sheet).
4
Broadcasting, Media, Television A margin left at the edges of a shot to allow for the picture being cropped when it arrives at viewers' screens.
5
The situation where sound is picked up by a microphone from a source other than that which is intended.
Sound recording
6
The removal of air bubbles from a pipe containing other fluids.
7
The phenomenon of in-character feelings affecting a player's feelings or actions outside of the game.