The word 血腥 is formed through a direct, sensory combination of its two components: 血 (xuè), meaning "blood", and 腥 (xīng), meaning "the raw, pungent smell of blood or raw meat". The formation works by merging the tangible substance with its most immediate and repellent sensory property, the smell. This fusion creates a single, potent concept that evokes the visceral, metallic reality of violence and slaughter, where the sight of blood is inextricably linked to its distinctive, unsettling odor.