HealthAugust 12, 2026

haemorrhage

HEM-uh-rij

Definition

A significant loss or depletion of assets, personnel, or resources.

Etymology

Derived from the Greek word 'haimorrhagia', meaning 'violent bleeding,' which combines 'haima' (blood) and 'rhēgnunai' (to burst forth). It entered English via Old French to describe physical bleeding before expanding to metaphorical contexts.

In the news

In this context, the term refers to the potential drain or loss of institutional knowledge and trained personnel from the police force, which hampers the effective combatting of organized crime.

The AFP supporting RSIPF to combat organised crime in Solomon Islands

Read the full article ↗

The National Tribune

Related words

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.