black and blue

Meaning

Adj

Having obvious bruises of the skin, typically from falling or being hit or punched.

Verb

to bruise, to strike (a person in such a way as to discolour the skin without breaking it).

Synonyms

bruised

livid

bluish

dark blue

sore

contused

Translations

grün und blau

contusionné

bont en blauw

meurtri

noir

machucado

contundido

lívido

mosmor

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: blak and blo

In summary

From Middle English blak and blo, blac and bla (“very dark, bruised”), equivalent to black + and + blow (dialectal term for blue). By surface analysis, black + and + blue.