wound

¹ American  

[woond, wound] / wund, waʊnd /

noun

1. an injury, usually involving division of tissue or rupture of the integument or mucous membrane, due to external violence or some mechanical agency rather than disease.

   Synonyms:

   trauma, lesion, laceration, stab, cut

2. a similar injury to the tissue of a plant.

3. an injury or hurt to feelings, sensibilities, reputation, etc.

   Synonyms:

   anguish, pain, insult

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verb (used with object)

1. to inflict a wound upon; injure; hurt.

   Synonyms:

   lacerate, stab, cut, damage, harm

verb (used without object)

1. to inflict a wound.

idioms

1. lick one's wounds, to attempt to heal one's injuries or soothe one's hurt feelings after a defeat.

wound ² American  

[wound] / waʊnd /

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of wind and wind.

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wound ¹ British  

/ wuːnd /

noun

1. any break in the skin or an organ or part as the result of violence or a surgical incision

2. an injury to plant tissue

3. any injury or slight to the feelings or reputation

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verb

1. to inflict a wound or wounds upon (someone or something)

wound ² British  

/ waʊnd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of wind 2

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wound More Idioms  

1. see lick one's wounds; rub in (salt into a wound).

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Related Words

See injury.

Other Word Forms

• woundable adjective
• woundedly adverb
• wounder noun
• wounding adjective
• woundingly adverb
• woundless adjective

Etymology

Origin of wound

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English wund; cognate with Old High German wunta ( German Wunde ), Old Norse und, Gothic wunds; (verb) Middle English wounden, Old English wundian, derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

According to the police, at least 16 officers were wounded and 13 arrests made at the demonstration in Tirana, the latest in a series of restive anti-governmental rallies called by opposition leader Sali Berisha.

From Barron's

He made a whimpering sound and held his leg with a dramatic flair, as if Danny had wounded him mortally.

From Literature

In his statement he added Lawrence's claims in relation to the campaign "are especially bewildering and bitterly wounding to me personally."

From BBC

And the wound had time to heal—a diagnosis Mr. Benoit makes 250 million years after the fact, give or take a few thousand millennia.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their hands, arms and legs bore wounds caused by the salt water.

From Barron's

Related Words

• bruise
• cut
• damage
• grief
• laceration
• lesion
• pain
• shock
• trauma