A traditional hunting ceremony where a young or inexperienced hunter is marked with blood from their first kill, or more broadly, the first experience of violence or combat.
From 'blood' (Old English blōd) as a verb + gerund suffix '-ing'; originally a specific hunting tradition, expanded metaphorically to mean first blood or violent initiation.
The traditional 'blooding' ceremony in fox hunting involved a ritual where hunters would mark a young person's face with blood from their first kill—this seemingly brutal custom was actually meant to bond the hunting community and mark a rite of passage, though it horrifies modern sensibilities.
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