exsanguinate

Verb

exsanguinate (third-person singular simple present exsanguinates, present participle exsanguinating, simple past and past participle exsanguinated)

1. (transitive) To drain (a living or dead body, or (medicine, surgery) a body part) of blood.
   • The substance of the brain was not congested but, on the contrary, exsanguinated.1873, John A. Lidell, “On the So-called Congestive and Serous Forms of Apoplexy—Their Clinical History and Post-mortem Lesions”, in A Treatise on Apoplexy, Cerebral Hemorrhage, Cerebral Embolism...
   • At the battle of Ball's Bluff, I saw a soldier having a shot flesh-wound of the left arm, who was much weakened and exsanguinated from a venous hemorrhage that was caused by applying an improvised tourniquet above the wound (it was done by a comrade), and was readily stopped on removing the cause.1883, John A. Lidell, “Injuries of Bloodvessels”, in John Ashhurst, editor, The International Encyclopædia of Surgery: A Systematic Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Surgery by Authors of...

   Synonyms:

   bleed white

2. (transitive) To kill (a person or animal) by means of blood loss.
   • And I do have to admit that once the episode revealed that the girls killed their dads because of a chromosomal predisposition, I made a note to have my daughter tested for that "exsanguinate your father" gene!1997, Phil Farrand, “First Season [Eve]”, in The Nitpicker’s Guide for X-philes, New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing, →ISBN

   Synonyms:

   bleed out

3. (intransitive) To bleed profusely; also, to die by means of blood loss.
   • Universal precautions may not always be instituted in emergencies, as the nurse may find herself with no time to put on a pair of gloves or put on a gown and mask. A few examples of emergency cases are: patients that start to exsanguinate, vomiting blood in a projectile manner all over the room, […]1989 December 19, Ellen Redick, “Testimony of the American Association of Critical-care Nurses on Blood-borne Pathogens before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration”, in Oversight...
   • He won't tolerate not doing a resection. Now let's get this stomach out and get out of here before he exsanguinates on the table!1994, Harry Lee Kraus, Jr., chapter 12, in Stainless Steel Hearts, Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, →ISBN, page 165

   Synonyms:

   bleed out

4. (intransitive) To cause blood to drain from a body or body part, or profuse bleeding.
   • A mild galvanic current stimulates functional activity, promotes absorption; a stronger current contracts and exsanguinates.1886, George J[ulius] Engelmann, “The Use of Electricity in Gynecological Practice”, in Transactions of the American Gynecological Society, volume 11, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company...
   • If sterile blood [from a rat] is required an alternative method is to exsanguinate under terminal anaesthesia by withdrawing blood from the heart with a sterile syringe and needle.1971, W. H. Kingham, “Techniques for Handling Animals”, in J. R. Norris, D. W. Ribbons, editors, Methods in Microbiology, volume 5A, London; Orlando, Fla.: Academic Press, →ISBN, page 294