sb. (a.) [f. the phrase to shed blood.]
1. The spilling or shedding of blood; slaughter.
1536–40. Pilgrim’s T., 396, in Thynne, Animadv., App. 88. For by bloud-shed they hop to be kepyd in stall.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., xii. (title), An acte for mourder and malicious bloudshed within the courte.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 139, ¶ 7. He took the French Lines without Bloodshed.
1876. Green, Short Hist., vi. § 3 (1882), 295. The accession of Henry the Seventh ended the long bloodshed of the Civil Wars.
† 2. A single act of bloodshedding, a slaughter, a murder. (With plural.) Obs.
1594. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., IV. (1617), 167. Mutuall combustions, bloud-sheds and wastes.
1620. J. Wilkinson, Coroners & Sherifes, 67. A sherife may inquire of blood-sheddes in his turne.
1677. Hale, Prim. Orig. Man., II. x. 226. The violent bloodsheds of the Papists upon the Protestants.
† 3. The shedding or parting with one’s own blood; orig. said of the death of Christ, who in voluntarily submitting to death is said to have ‘shed his blood’ for the salvation of men. ? Obs.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., I. (1843), 6. His scourginge, his whippinge, his bloude shedd and passion.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxxii. 513. The countries are conquered to Jesus Christ by those fewe Disciples preaching his bloudshed and shedding their owne.
1869. Blackmore, Lorna D., ii. (ed. 12), 10. He came up to me—with a piece of spongious coralline to ease me of my bloodshed.
† 4. = BLOOD-SHOT sb. and adj. Obs.
1684. trans. Bonet’s Merc. Compit., III. 68. Who … hath not suffered the least Taraxis (or Bloud-shed) in his Eye.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3853/4. Had a little Bloodshed in the inside Corner of his right Eye.
1658. A. Fox, Würtz’ Surg., II. ix. 82. I undertake to heal … wounded Eyes and eye-lids, though they be never so much bloudshed.
1697. Lond. Gaz., No. 3254/4. Light grey Eyes often Bloodshed.
