hemorrhage
Meaning
a severe and often uncontrolled loss of blood from a blood vessel.
to lose a large amount of something valuable, such as money or people, in a rapid and uncontrolled way.
Structure
Usage
the patient suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage.
the company continues to hemorrhage money due to poor management.
the war caused a severe hemorrhage of talent from the country.
Etymology
the word 'hemorrhage' originates from the greek 'haimorrhagia', a compound of 'haima' (blood) and '-rrhagia', derived from the verb 'rhēgnynai' (to break or burst). it entered english via latin and old french, carrying the literal medical sense of 'a bursting forth of blood'. the modern usage retains this core logic of a sudden, forceful escape, which has been metaphorically extended to describe any rapid and damaging loss of resources, such as financial capital or skilled personnel.
Analysis
hemo: from greek 'haima' (blood), meaning 'blood'. rrhage: from greek '-rrhagia', from 'rhēgnynai' (to break, burst), meaning 'a bursting forth'.