taste blood

1. To achieve a small victory or advantage over an opponent, giving one the encouragement or confidence to pursue total victory. The underdog tasted blood with her victory in the first round, and she's coming out with guns blazing to try to secure a championship title here today.

2. To have a first experience of something thrilling or exciting that prompts one to seek that experience again. Once I tasted blood skydiving, I knew I had to try to do it as often as I possibly could.

See also: blood, taste

taste blood

Fig. to experience something exciting, and perhaps dangerous, for the first time. She had tasted blood once, and she knew that the life of a race-car driver was for her. Once you taste blood, you're hooked.

See also: blood, taste

taste blood

If you taste blood, you have a small victory and this encourages you to think that you can defeat your opponent completely. The real opposition to the Government continues to be its own backbenchers who have now tasted blood for the first time. Note: You can also say that someone gets a taste of blood. That experience changed him, gave him a taste of blood, a taste of real power.

See also: blood, taste

taste blood

achieve an early success that stimulates further efforts.

See also: blood, taste

taste blood

tv. to experience something exciting, and perhaps dangerous, for the first time. Once you taste blood, you’re hooked.

See also: blood, taste

References in periodicals archive ?

In case you have a cut or you are bleeding, do not enter the water as sharks can smell and taste blood, and trace it back to its source.

Shark Attacks Female Tourist While Snorkeling In Bahamas

When those dogs taste blood, they don't stop SOURCE MOYCULLEN, CO GALWAY, YESTERDAY

Gran mauled to death by son's two bullmastiffs in his garden; Pensioner killed after she called to visit family

Every day and every night, I can smell blood and taste blood.

Every day and every night, I can smell [...]; EXCLUSIVE SISTER OF SLAIN KIDS OPENS HER HEART TO STOP THEIR KILLER BEING FREED

He boasted in an email: "Once you kill and taste blood, it's impossible to stop.

I slept with killer cannibal fugitive Magnotta in Paris

She could taste blood and spat blood out into her hand.

'I could have been killed when he broke my jaw'

And when he and Ellie develop an urge to eat raw meat and taste blood.

Movies: It's a hairy scary film; CURSED (15)

Supporting their team, and enjoying the action, were a distant and poor second to the desire to taste blood.

Football: Mindless idiots are taking over the game again

I scream until I can taste blood in my throat, until I can no longer hear my own voice.

THE FARMING OF BONES

When I feel the need to taste blood I cannot stop myself.

Sex vampire killed to drink warm blood

My eyes watered up and my nose ran, and I ran my tongue over my lips thinking I would taste blood.

Uncle Beasley's courtship

They taste blood because they know the devil is after me.

Let me say this about that..

To begin with, it looked like he was being sick and he said he could taste blood in his mouth.

TV man spooked by ghost attack

The 1ft predators are normally no threat to people but, like piranhas, they attack in a frenzy when they taste blood.

The shark's tail wa as we jumped in th them..we have nev as swishing around he water to rescue ver been so scared; EXCLUSIVE: HEROES RELIVE HOLS ISLE HORROR

I bite down and my mouth is full of broken glass and I taste blood.

THE DREAM MAN; MAN Every week I reveal the secrets behind your most terrifying nightmares and strangest dreams

To begin with it looked like he was being sick and he said could taste blood in his mouth.