Definition

Noun: - A dry, powdered product made from the blood of slaughtered animals, used primarily as a high-nitrogen fertilizer or as a component in animal feed.

Usage

"Blood meal" is used as a mass noun. It refers to the processed substance itself, not the act of creating it. It is commonly used in agricultural, gardening, and farming contexts.

Examples

• The gardener added blood meal to the soil to promote lush, green growth in the plants.
• Organic farmers often use blood meal as a natural source of nitrogen.
• You should wear a mask when spreading blood meal to avoid inhaling the fine dust.

Advanced Usage

• As a soil amendment: Blood meal is valued for its rapid-release nitrogen, which is quickly available to plants.
• As an animal feed supplement: In some livestock and fish feeds, blood meal provides a concentrated source of protein.
• As a deterrent: Due to its smell, blood meal is sometimes used to repel herbivorous animals like deer and rabbits from gardens.

Variants and Related Words

• Blood (noun): The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins, the raw material for blood meal.
• Meal (noun): In this context, a coarsely ground substance or powder (e.g., bone meal, fish meal).

Synonyms

• Dried blood: A more descriptive synonym, though less commonly used as a technical term.
• Blood powder: A literal synonym, but "blood meal" is the standard term in agriculture.

Notes on Different Meanings

The term "blood meal" is specific and technical. It does not refer to: - A meal made with blood as an ingredient (e.g., blood sausage or black pudding). - A figurative "meal" of blood consumed by a vampire or predator.

Noun

1. the dried and powdered blood of animals