'sblood

Etymology

Shortened from God's blood. Primarily in the Middle Ages and up to the early modern era and to a rare extent today, people would curse on God/Christ's body parts rather than breaking the third commandment (Do not use the Lord's name in vain oaths). In this case, the exclamation refers to Christ's blood shed during the crucifixion and commemorated by the drinking of wine during communion.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zblʌd/

Interjection

'sblood

1. (archaic) An exclamation formerly used as an oath, and an expression of anger or wonder.
   • "'Sblood, I would my face were in your belly." — King Henry the Fourth Part 1, Act 3, Scene 3, William Shakespeare
   • "Yea, for obtaining of suits, whereof the hangman
     hath no lean wardrobe. 'Sblood, I am as melancholy..." — King Henry the Fourth Part 1, Act 1, Scene 2, William Shakespeare
   • "'Sblood, 'twas time to counterfeit, or that hot termangant Scot had paid me, scot and lot too..." — King Henry the Fourth Part 1, Act 5, Scene 4, William Shakespeare
   • "'Sblood! an arrant traitor as any is in the
     universal world, or in France, or in England" — King Henry the Fifth, Act 4, Scene 8, William Shakespeare
   • "'Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?" — Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2, William Shakespeare
   • "'Sblood, but you'll not hear me!" — Othello the Moor of Venice, Act 1, Scene 1, William Shakespeare
   • "S'blood; does that astonish you?"— The Three Musketeers, chapter 5 page 62, Alexandre Dumas

Anagrams

• Bloods, bloods