Bloodlines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The family lineage indicating connections among individuals is known for defining genetic heritage and inherited traits that shape one's identity
2. Referring to the genealogical ties that connect individuals, this term encompasses both inherited characteristics and ancestral influence on identity
3. The sequence of ancestry connecting individuals to their forebears, reflecting inherited traits and familial connections

Etymology: "Bloodlines" is the plural of "bloodline," a compound of two plain English words: "blood" and "line." The image is old and simple: a line of descent traced through blood, a chain of parents, children and grandchildren running back through the generations. The compound records the way people have long pictured kinship as a thread that runs from one generation to the next. The plural form "bloodlines" usually refers to several such lines at once, as when a family or a breeder speaks of the different ancestral lines that converge in one individual. That is why the term can cover both inherited traits and the ancestry that shapes a person's identity: each line carries its own history, and together they make up a person's ancestry.