bleed
UK[bliːd]US[bliːd]
v
to lose blood from the body because of an injury or illness
v
(of a plant or tree) to lose sap or juice from a cut surface
v
(of dye or colour) to come out of something when it gets wet and stain something else
v
to remove air or liquid from a system, especially to make it work correctly
v
to force someone to pay an unreasonable amount of money over time
Etymology
the modern english verb 'bleed' originates from the old english 'blēdan', meaning "to let blood." this old english term is a derivative of the noun 'blōd', meaning "blood," which itself has a deep proto-germanic ancestry in the root blōþą. this proto-germanic root is further traced back to the proto-indo-european (pie) root bʰel- meaning "to swell, blow up, burst," a semantic connection that vividly links the concept of blood with the idea of something that wells up or flows forth. the logical progression from the pie sense of "bursting forth" to the germanic concept of "blood" and finally to the specific action of "losing blood" illustrates a clear metaphorical evolution. the word has remained remarkably stable in its core meaning related to the emission of blood, while also developing extended metaphorical uses in botany, colour technology, and finance.
Analysis
the word is a simplex unit derived from a common germanic root. it is not productively formed from smaller, independent morphemes in modern english.
Examples
the cut on his finger took a long time to stop bleeding.
if you prune the maple tree in spring, it will bleed sap profusely.
the red fabric bled onto the white clothes in the wash, ruining them.