Bloodletting

Bloodletting

A period marked by severe investing losses. Bloodletting may occur during a bear market, in which the value of securities in many sectors may decline rapidly and heavily.

It is named after an ancient medical practice in which doctors would use leaches or cuts to drain some of a patient's blood (one of the four humors). The premise being that it was "healthy" to balance the humors if feeling ill.

Investors facing a bear market have the option of riding out the downturn and holding onto their investments, or selling their investments in order to mitigate losses. A sell off of a particular security may result in a further decline in its value, as there are more sellers than buyers available in the market. An investor who thinks that the market will improve, may take advantage of this situation by buying up bargain stocks.


Investment dictionary. . 2012.

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  • Bloodletting — (or blood letting, in modern medicine referred to as phlebotomy) was a tremendously popular medical practice from antiquity up to the late 19th century, a time span of almost 2,000 years. Bloodletting involves the withdrawal of often considerable …   Wikipedia

  • BLOODLETTING — BLOODLETTING, removal of blood in treating diseases. Bloodletting is frequently mentioned in the Talmud. It was performed not by a physician but by a skilled functionary called umman or gara, whose status was less than that of a physician. The… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • bloodletting — blood‧let‧ting [ˈblʌdˌletɪŋ] noun [uncountable] JOURNALISM HUMAN RESOURCES dismissing employees in large numbers: • After two years of layoffs, bloodletting at the company may be over. * * * bloodletting UK US /ˈblʌdˌletɪŋ/ noun [U] ► …   Financial and business terms

  • Bloodletting — Blood let ting, n. (Med.) The act or process of letting blood or bleeding, as by opening a vein or artery, or by cupping or leeches; esp. applied to venesection. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bloodletting — ► NOUN 1) historical the surgical removal of some of a patient s blood for therapeutic purposes. 2) violence during a war or conflict …   English terms dictionary

  • bloodletting — [blud′let΄iŋ] n. [ME blodleting: see BLOOD & LET1] 1. the opening of a vein to remove blood; phlebotomy 2. bloodshed …   English World dictionary

  • bloodletting — blood|let|ting [ˈblʌdˌletıŋ] n [U] 1.) killing people = ↑bloodshed ▪ The movie contains scenes of violence and bloodletting. 2.) a medical treatment used in the past which involved removing some of a person s blood 3.) a reduction in the number… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • bloodletting — bloodletter, n. /blud let ing/, n. 1. the act or practice of letting blood by opening a vein; phlebotomy. 2. bloodshed or slaughter. 3. bloodbath. 4. Informal. severe cutbacks or reduction in personnel, appropriations, etc.: The company went… …   Universalium

  • bloodletting — blood|let|ting [ blʌd,letıŋ ] noun 1. ) uncount a situation in which many people are killed and injured in fighting 2. ) singular or uncount a situation in which someone in an organization or company is criticized or forced to leave their job in… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • bloodletting — noun (U) 1 killing people; bloodshed: The violence was a foretaste of the bloodletting to come. 2 the medical practice in former times of treating people who were ill by removing some of their blood 3 the reduction of the number of people working …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

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