1.
bloodline; lineage; blood ties
Family descent or hereditary connection passed down through generations. Emphasizes the biological and spiritual continuity of a family line.
血脈を受け継ぐ。
To carry on the bloodline.
名門の血脈を引いている。
He is descended from a distinguished lineage.
家族の血脈は途絶えることなく現代まで続いている。
The family bloodline has continued unbroken to the present day.
2.
blood vessel (literary)
A vein or artery carrying blood. A literary or classical usage, less common in modern everyday language.
全身の血脈を巡る。
To circulate through the blood vessels of the entire body.
東洋医学では血脈の流れを重視する。
In Eastern medicine, the flow through blood vessels is considered important.
鍼治療は血脈の滞りを改善すると言われている。
Acupuncture is said to improve stagnation in the blood vessels.
A compound of 血 (blood) and 脈 (vein, pulse, connection). The primary modern usage is the figurative sense of family lineage and hereditary ties. The literal "blood vessel" sense survives mainly in traditional medicine and literary contexts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 血脈を引く: to be descended from, to have the blood of
- 血脈を受け継ぐ: to inherit the bloodline
- 血脈が途絶える: the bloodline dies out
- 血脈を守る: to preserve the bloodline
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 血統: lineage, pedigree — often used for animals (horses, dogs) as well as noble families
- 血筋: bloodline, lineage — more colloquial
- 家系: family line, genealogy — focuses on the family tree structure
- 血管: blood vessel — the standard modern medical term (for sense 2)