blood money
Preserved but no longer current.
Money paid to a person for giving such evidence as shall lead to the con- viction of another; money paid to the next of kin to induce him to forgo his "right" of seeking blood for blood, or (formerly) as compensation for the murder of his relative; money paid to a person for betraying another, as Judas was paid blood-money for his betrayal of the Saviour.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “blood money” mean?
Money paid to a person for giving such evidence as shall lead to the con- viction of another; money paid to the next of kin to induce him to forgo his "right" of seeking blood for blood, or (formerly) as compensation for the murder of his relative; money paid to a person for betraying another, as Judas was paid blood-money for his betrayal of the Saviour.
Is “blood money” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.