Bruise

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bɹuːz/

Definitions

1. A discolored area of skin resulting from bleeding underneath caused by blunt force impact, or to injure tissue in this manner
2. An area of skin that becomes discolored due to damage from a blow, reflecting underlying internal bleeding or a minor injury to bodily tissue
3. A mark on the skin characterized by discoloration that originates from trauma, indicating bleeding beneath the surface or a mild injury to the tissues

Etymology: Before it described a patch of discolored skin, "bruise" meant to crush or break something into pieces. Its Old English ancestor "brȳsan" meant to crush or smash, and the word's sense of physical damage to flesh came later, once the verb was applied to the body. The word is a merger of two verbs that came to English from different routes. One came from Old English "brȳsan" and "brīesan," with roots in a Germanic word for breaking and crumbling. The other came through Anglo-Norman "bruiser," meaning to smash or shatter, which likely traces back to a Gaulish word of Celtic origin. Over the Middle English period these forms blended into the single verb we use today. The same ancient root turns up in surprisingly ordinary words. German "Brosame" means crumb, and Dutch "broos" means brittle, both pointing back to the idea of things breaking apart.

Synonyms: contusion, injury, mark

Antonyms: heal, cure