What term describes the settling of blood in a corpse?

The term that describes the settling of blood in a corpse is livor mortis. After death, the heart stops pumping blood, and gravity causes the blood to pool in the lower parts of the body, leading to the development of a purple or red discoloration on the skin. This process typically begins within 20 minutes to 3 hours after death and can provide important information regarding the position of the body at the time of death, as well as the time elapsed since death.

Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of muscles that occurs after death due to biochemical processes and is different from the settling of blood. Algor mortis relates to the cooling of the body post-mortem and does not involve blood displacement. Decomposition is the broader biological process that follows death, involving the breakdown of tissues and organs, which occurs at a later stage than the initial settling of blood.