blood money
1
8.7
- noun
- /blʌd ˈmʌni/
- NSFW
:
pago por asesinato
- Many believe that blood money should never be accepted, even if it provides financial security.
Examples
-
That's blood money, Oda.
Fiction book (1990) -
The gangster was known for accepting blood money in exchange for his deadly services.
-
After the assassination, the hitman was paid blood money for carrying out the murder.
Synonyms
1
7.7
A sum of money offered to catch or kill a person wanted by the police
Surface Forms
Morphology
blood + money
The components 'blood' (associated with violence or death) and 'money' (payment) give a learner a general idea that this refers to payment connected with bloodshed, so the broad concept is inferable. However, the exact sense (payment for committing a murder, or culturally specific compensation to victims' families) and pragmatic nuance are metaphorical and culturally variable, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the words alone.
Etymology
Blood money paints a direct image: someone gives money so someone else will kill another person. That clear picture is why the phrase can also mean 'money paid to a hired killer'.