taste blood

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
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

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
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

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
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

taste blood

achieve an early success that stimulates further efforts.
See also: blood, taste
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

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
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • landslide victory
  • victory
  • pyrrhic
  • Pyrrhic victory
  • a Pyrrhic victory
  • win the battle, but lose the war
  • a battle of wits
  • Asia
  • never fight a land war in Asia
  • never start a land war in Asia
References in periodicals archive
Ms Evans said: "The complainant could immediately taste blood in his mouth and could not see out of his left eye."
Man punched as he tried to help woman who was being attacked
But enemies of the gods taste blood in the air, and a swarm of saboteurs come slithering in.
God Awful Rebel
In Cyprus, the moon has a warm friendly aura around its ancient body unlike the moon that in some literary European tales stands sentinel above eerie woods or castles and silently, with its mere black magic presence, calls to ordinary wolves to taste blood or to the werewolves of mythology to seek out human prey.
The moon
I took another bite with the same sensation and to my disbelief I spat it out as I could taste blood. As I looked through the pizza, there were glass shards in there," he said.
'THERE WERE GLASS SHARDS IN PIZZA - AND MY MOUTH WAS LEFT BLEEDING'
I could taste blood and feel blood on my face from a cut above my eyebrow.
THIS IS HOW WOMEN END UP BEING KILLED; EXCLUSIVE COPS WARNED OVER ABUSERS Victim claims police left her with violent monster who went on to attack her again
| Jaw drop: "Ike used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood running down my throat when I sang.
Chapter and verse on the top celebrity Christmas books; A brilliant crop of candid celebrity memoirs have arrived just in time for Christmas. JULIE MCCAFFREY gives you the run-down
| Jaw drop: "Ike used my nose as a punching bag so many times that I could taste blood Melanie running down my throat when I sang.
Chapter and verse on the top celebrity Christmas books; A brilliant crop of candid celebrity memoirs have arrived just in time for Christmas. JULIE MCCAFFREY gives you the run-down
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
They feel Carlos' quick, panicked breath; taste blood; choke back smoke; cry and play with him; and awe with him at the nighttime beauty of an owl whose lush forest home is one bomb away from obliteration.
Caminar
taste blood on cassava, blood on rice remain silent like troubled
Ghana '67 In the Vortex
Every day and every night, I can smell blood and taste blood. But worst of all, I smell death.
Every day and every night, [...]; EXCLUSIVE SISTER OF SLAIN KIDS OPENS HER HEART TO STOP THEIR KILLER BEING FREED
In times past it was said that once a kukri was drawn in battle it had to 'taste blood' - if not, its owner had to cut himself before returning it to its sheath.
A brief Gurkha history; Mailbag
And when he and Ellie develop an urge to eat raw meat and taste blood. As you do, of course.
Movies: It's a hairy scary film; CURSED (15)
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