Bloodedness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of possessing a particular lineage or heritage, especially referring to the presence of a distinguished or pure ancestry; the characteristic of being endowed with natural vigor or courage; the condition of having been supplied with or containing blood
2. The condition relating to one's ancestry or descent, often implying noble or pure origins; the attribute of innate strength or spiritedness; the state of having blood within the body or veins
3. The attribute of having notable familial or genetic background, often associated with nobility or breeding; the inherent quality of vitality or boldness; the physical status of containing blood or being blood-supplied

Etymology: "Bloodedness" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "blooded" with the suffix "-ness" added to turn it into a noun for a state or quality. The base adjective "blooded" comes from the noun "blood" and the past-participle ending "-ed", so it describes something that has been given or equipped with blood, or with a particular kind of blood, in the sense of lineage. The suffix "-ness" is an old and productive English ending, found in Old English, that has long been used to name qualities and conditions, which is why it attaches so easily to adjectives like this one. The meaning spreads in the same direction the base word did. "Blooded" in the sense of a well-bred animal or person gave rise to the idea of inherited strength or spirit, and "bloodedness" collects those senses into one noun. It can refer to descent from good stock, to a keen or fierce temperament, or simply to the presence of blood in the body, depending on which sense of the base adjective is in play.

Synonyms: nobility, lineage, pedigree, ancestry, heritage

Antonyms: commonness, low birth, base origin