Definition
Something too new and untested to be reliable or to have any assurance of safety; the figurative place where such things exist.
Origins
Blend of bleed + leading edge, and metaphorically alluding to the cutting edge (“forefront or position of greatest advancement in some field”) as a double-edged sword.
In Context
- "on the bleeding edge (of something)"
- "They would be the creators of strategy, generators of action and the bleeding edge of the church, ever pushing toward the front lines of conflict."
- "A few leading edge (some say "bleeding" edge) users have stepped into the arena and their experiences have helped sharpen our perception of what the electronic office can be."
- "The motion-captured ape characters are the bleeding edge of digital effects, rarely short of impressive."