bruise

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To strike (a person), originally with something flat or heavy, but now specifically in such a way as to discolour the skin without breaking it; to contuse.
2. (transitive) To damage the skin of (fruit or vegetables), in an analogous way.
3. (intransitive) Of fruit or vegetables, to gain bruises through being handled roughly.
4. (intransitive) To become bruised.
5. (intransitive) To fight with the fists; to box.
6. (figuratively, transitive) To harm or injure somebody's feelings or self-esteem.
7. (transitive) To impair (gin) by shaking rather than stirring.

Noun

1. A purplish mark on the skin due to leakage of blood from capillaries under the surface that have been damaged by a blow.
2. A dark mark on fruit or vegetables caused by a blow to the surface.

Synonyms

contusion

wound

crush

contuse

hurt

injury

cut

scratch

scar

gash

pound

💷

cicatrix

blemish

welt

smash

sore

mash

stab

injure

squash

ecchymosis

damage

haematoma

bray

hematoma

stroke

beetle

🪲

be bruised

jam

be sore

blow

livid spot

hit

harm

concussion

spite

take off

offend

shell-shock

destroy

lesion

grind

kill

🔪🩸👤

laceration

maul

skin

weal

cut up

crunch

bruising

Translations

contusion

ecchymose

cardenal

contusione

Prellung

bleu

meurtrissure

Quetschung

blauer Fleck

Bluterguss

meurtrir

ammaccare

quetschen

contusão

livido

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bɹuːz/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: bruisen

Inherited from Old English: brȳsan

Cognate with Scots: brizz

Cognate with German: brausen

Cognate with Old English: brosnian

Cognate with Dutch: broos

Cognate with German: Brosame

Cognate with Norwegian: brøysk

Cognate with Latin: frustum

Cognate with Church Slavic: бръснути

Cognate with Albanian: breshër

In summary

From Middle English bruisen, brusen, brosen, brisen, bresen, from a merger two words, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to break”):
* Old English brȳsan, brīesan (“to bruise; crush”), from Proto-Germanic *brausijaną, *brūsijaną (“to break; crumble; crack”). Provided the word's sense.
* Anglo-Norman bruiser, bruser (“to break, smash, shatter”), from Gaulish *brus-, from Proto-Celtic *bruseti (“to break”). Provided the word's form.
Cognate with Scots brizz, German brausen (“to roar; boom; pound”), Old English brosnian (“to crumble, fall apart”), Dutch broos (“brittle”), German Brosame (“crumb”), dialectal Norwegian brøysk (“breakable”), Latin frustum (“bit, scrap”), Old Church Slavonic бръснути (brŭsnuti, “to rake”), Albanian breshër (“hail”).