Bruise Definition

bro͝oz

bruised, bruises, bruising

verb

bruised, bruises, bruising

To injure (tissue), as by a blow, without breaking the skin but causing discoloration.

Webster's New World

To bruise tissue, a surface, etc.

Webster's New World

To injure the surface or outside of, causing spoilage, denting, etc.

Bruised peaches, a bruised auto fender.

Webster's New World

To be or become bruised.

Webster's New World

To dent or mar.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

noun

bruises

A bruised area of tissue, of a surface, etc.

Webster's New World

An injury to underlying tissues or bone in which the skin is not broken, often characterized by ruptured blood vessels and discolorations.

American Heritage

A similar injury to plant tissue, often resulting in discoloration or spoilage.

American Heritage

An injury to one's feelings, spirit, etc.

Webster's New World

A painful feeling caused by or associated with an experience.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Bruise

Singular:

bruise

Plural:

From Middle English bruisen, brusen, from Anglo-Norman bruiser, bruser (“to break, smash”), from Gaulish *brusu (compare Old Irish brúu (“I shatter, smash”)), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreus- (“to break”) (compare Latin frustum (“bit, scrap”), Old Church Slavonic бръснути (brŭsnuti, “to rake”), Albanian breshër (“hail”)).Replaced early modern English brise (compare Scots brizz), from Middle English brisen, bresen, from Old English brȳsan, briesan (“to crush”), from Proto-Germanic *brausijaną, causative from the same PIE root. Cognate with Old English brosnian (“to crumble, fall apart”), Dutch broos (“brittle”), German Brosame (“crumb”), dialectal Norwegian brøysk (“breakable”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English bruisen from Old English brȳsan to crush, and from Old North French bruisier (of Celtic origin)

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition