Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

first blood

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.06 in modern English

Syllables: first blood
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The condition in a duel in which the first one to draw blood from the other wins.

Uncountable

noun

The first damage or reverse inflicted on an opponent in a conflict.

Uncountable

noun

The first score in a competition.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Sayers won first blood by cutting Crouch's right eye, and the battle by knocking his man out with a nose-ender in 12 minutes 28 seconds, 6 rounds being fought."
"Rambo - They drew first blood, not me. Trautman - Look Johnny, let me come in and get you the hell out of there! Rambo - They drew first blood... Trautman - Rambo, are you still reading me? Covey leader to Raven! Rambo! Acknowledge! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083944/quotes"
"Johnston, meanwhile, has managed to get within five miles of its target, and fires a full spread of ten torpedoes. Minutes later, at least two, possibly three, tear the bow off the hapless cruiser Kumano. First blood, unbelievably, therefore, goes to the Americans."

Usage

Uncountable

Phrases

beat to the punch flesh one's maiden sword

Frequently Paired Words

beat to the punch flesh one's maiden sword

Questions

What does first blood mean?: The condition in a duel in which the first one to draw blood from the other wins.

How to pronounce first blood

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “first blood”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “first blood”.
Repeat and practice — Say “first blood” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.