Bloodstream

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈblʌd.stɹɪim/

Definitions

1. The flow of blood circulating through the body's vessels, carrying oxygen, nutrients, and other substances to cells and tissues
2. The network of blood moving through the body’s circulatory system, which delivers oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to various tissues while removing waste products
3. The system that includes the fluid movement within blood vessels, providing essential elements like oxygen and nutrients to cells and taking away metabolic waste

Etymology: "Bloodstream" is a plain compound: "blood" joined to "stream," so the word is literally a river of blood. The image is old and simple. "Stream" comes from Old English "strēam," meaning a flowing body of water, and "blood" is one of the oldest words in English, descending from Old English "blōd." Putting the two together describes the circulating blood as a current moving through the body, the same way a brook moves through a valley. The word is a transparent piece of English word-building rather than a borrowing or a technical coinage. Its parts were both long established in the language by the time it was formed, so there is no hidden foreign root to uncover. Its meaning is essentially the one the parts suggest.

Synonyms: circulation, vascular system