black-and-blue

[blak-uhn-bloo]

adjective

1. discolored, as by bruising; exhibiting ecchymosis.

   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

black-and-blue

adjective

1. (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise

2. feeling pain or soreness, as from a beating

Word History and Origins

Origin of black and blue¹

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Idioms and Phrases

Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

Related Words

• ache 
• bruise 
• discomfort 
• outrage 
• pain 
• suffering