blood‧let‧ting /ˈblʌdˌletɪŋ/ noun [uncountable]

1. killing people Synonym : bloodshed:
The movie contains scenes of violence and bloodletting.

2. a medical treatment used in the past that involved removing some of a person’s blood

3. a reduction in the number of people working for an organization, industry etc:
Many jobs have been lost, and the bloodletting isn’t over yet.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲