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Bruise

noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 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. 2
    an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration wordnet
  3. 3
    A dark mark on fruit or vegetables caused by a blow to the surface.
Verb
  1. 1
    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. transitive

    "It is as I have spoken: the testing first, next the bruising, and in the last bout the breaking and killing."

  2. 2
    damage (plant tissue) by abrasion or pressure wordnet
  3. 3
    To damage the skin of (fruit or vegetables), in an analogous way. transitive
  4. 4
    break up into small pieces for food preparation wordnet
  5. 5
    Of fruit or vegetables, to gain bruises through being handled roughly. intransitive

    "Bananas bruise easily."

Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of wordnet
  2. 7
    To become bruised. intransitive

    "I bruise easily."

  3. 8
    hurt the feelings of wordnet
  4. 9
    To fight with the fists; to box. intransitive

    "Bruising was considered a fine, manly, old English custom."

  5. 10
    To harm or injure somebody's feelings or self-esteem. figuratively, transitive

    "Her thoughtless remarks bruised my ego."

  6. 11
    To impair (gin) by shaking rather than stirring. transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

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”).

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