a. [f. as prec. + GUILTY.] Guilty of bloodshed; responsible for the murder or death of any one.
1597. Drayton, Mortimer., 34. Murthered by her owne blood-guiltie hands.
1795. Southey, Joan of Arc, IX. 24. That proud prelate, that blood-guilty man.
1858. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., I. lvi. 221. Look at Spain … and see whether no solemn lesson has been read to the blood-guilty.
Hence Blood-guiltiness, blood-guilt. So also Blood-guiltless a., guiltless or innocent of bloodshed or murder.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. l. [li.] 14. Delyuer me from bloudgyltynesse o God.
1649. Milton, Eikon., xix. Wks. (1851), 478. Hee hath confess’d … the bloodguiltiness of all this Warr to lie upon his own head.
1753. H. Walpole, Lett. H. Mann (1833), III. 40 (D.). I am glad you have got rid of your duel blood-guiltless.
1884. Weekly Times, 10 Oct., 3/3. It would be blood-guiltiness.
