contuse

[kuhn-tooz, -tyooz]

verb (used with object)

contused, contusing 

1. to injure (tissue), especially without breaking the skin; bruise.

contuse

/ kənˈtjuːz /

verb

1. (tr) to injure (the body) without breaking the skin; bruise

Other Word Forms

• contusive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of contuse¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin contūsus, past participle of contundere “to bruise, crush,” equivalent to con- “with, together” + tud- (root with nasal infix of tundere “to beat”) + -tus past participle suffix, with -dt- becoming -s- ; con-

Word History and Origins

Origin of contuse¹

C15: from Latin contūsus bruised, from contundere to grind, from tundere to beat, batter

Example Sentences

But in this moment, eight days into a hospital stay after a horrendous car accident that left her bruised, contused and confused, she leans into the comfort of confiding in a four-legged friend.

Read more on Washington Times

“The contused areas show the swelling to be receding.”

Read more on Seattle Times

Upton, back in the Angels lineup after sitting out one game because of a contused forearm, went one for four.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

If you don’t watch yourself, with every move you’ll end up being gashed, broken, bruised or contused.

Read more on Time

That day, he’d seen an elderly man who had taken a bad spill two or three weeks earlier, resulting in a contused kidney and a compression fracture of his lower spine.

Read more on The New Yorker

Related Words

• bash 
• beat 
• bruise 
• buffet 
• clobber 
• crush 
• demolish 
• destroy 
• hurt 
• injure 
• lash 
• mar 
• pelt 
• pummel 
• punish 
• ruin 
• shatter 
• smash 
• wallop 
• wreck