bloody nose
14
4.1
- noun
- /ˈblʌdi noʊz/
- NSFW
:
sangrado nasal
- Cass and another student were kneeling over Belinda, who lay on the floor, moaning as she clutched her bloody nose.
- get a bloody nose
- suffered a bloody nose
- give them a bloody nose
All the blisters just burst and there was just a poor, a poor wee man's got a bloody nose.
- All the blisters just burst and there was just a poor, a poor wee man's got a bloody nose.
Examples
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One ends up with a bloody nose and a lost tooth, while the other faces assault charges.
Blog text (16) -
You got a bloody nose.
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I had a little bloody nose back in there before.
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You remember me, the bloody nose from last night?
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And one day I came home with a bloody nose.
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You have a bloody nose.
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The little punk gave me a bloody nose.
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Matt trudges into the locker room area, holding a towel to his bloody nose.
Fiction book (2002) -
One scraped shin, one cut eyebrow, one split lip, one bloody nose, six smashed knuckles, one sprained thumb, and two loosened teeth.
Fiction book (1991) -
After getting pushed down during the game, he came home with a bloody nose.
Synonyms
33
2.7
Blood coming from the nose
Antonyms
How Severe
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal sense 'an injury causing blood to flow from the nose' is directly and compositionally derived from 'bloody' (covered in blood) + 'nose' (the facial organ), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the meaning. The metaphorical extension meaning 'a defeat or setback' is a predictable figurative use based on the literal image, but it does not undermine the overall compositional transparency.
Etymology
The phrase bloody nose comes from the picture of someone being hit so their nose is bloody, a clear sign they were hurt. That's why we use it to mean a small 'defeat' or 'setback'.