bruise. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

bruise

PRONUNCIATION:	brz
VERB:	Inflected forms: bruised, bruis·ing, bruis·es
TRANSITIVE VERB:	1a. To injure the underlying soft tissue or bone of (part of the body) without breaking the skin, as by a blow. b. To damage (plant tissue), as by abrasion or pressure: bruised the fruit by careless packing. 2. To dent or mar. 3. To pound (berries, for example) into fragments; crush. 4. To hurt, especially psychologically.
INTRANSITIVE VERB:	To experience or undergo bruising: Peaches bruise easily.
NOUN:	1. An injury to underlying tissues or bone in which the skin is not broken, often characterized by ruptured blood vessels and discolorations. 2. A similar injury to plant tissue, often resulting in discoloration or spoilage. 3. An injury, especially to one's feelings.
ETYMOLOGY:	Middle English bruisen, from Old English brsan, to crush,and from Old North French bruisier (of Germanic origin).


The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.