bloodline

noun

blood·​line ˈbləd-ˌlīn How to pronounce bloodline (audio)
: a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree
also : family, strain

Examples of bloodline in a Sentence

came from a bloodline that could be traced back to the 12th century
Recent Examples on the Web Apparently poetry is hereditary — just ask Taylor Swift, the heralded lyricist who shares a bloodline with a very famous poet. Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 The bloodline can be an unreliable thing, and cruel sometimes. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Economic development is like a bloodline for our communities and our state. Charlotte Observer, 13 Feb. 2024 In a second Instagram post, Newman added to the family tree by declaring that yet another Vanderpump Rules is part of the bloodline: Katie Maloney. Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Jan. 2024 Princess Diana’s brother Charles chose her final resting place While much of Princess Diana's bloodline is buried at St. Mary the Virgin church in Great Brington, including her father, John Spencer, the late princess was laid to rest 80 miles north of the family vault. Nicole Briese, Peoplemag, 18 Dec. 2023 There are plenty of distinguished bloodlines in the history of Hollywood—the Selznicks and the Mayers, the Warners, the Hustons, the Bergman-Rossellinis, the Fondas—but very few, like the Coppolas, in which one famous director has spawned another. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 Mayden has bloodlines working in his favor on defense. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023 This made young people keenly aware of their bloodlines and descent and promoted an increasingly primordial concept of nationality. Robert Hornsby, Foreign Affairs, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bloodline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bloodline was in 1658

Dictionary Entries Near bloodline

Cite this Entry

“Bloodline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bloodline. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bloodline

noun
blood·​line -ˌlīn How to pronounce bloodline (audio)
: a sequence of direct ancestors especially in a pedigree
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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