Word of the Day - 09/01/26
contusion
/kən'tuʒən/(n.): an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration; a bruise
After falling, he developed a large contusion on his knee.
Word Origin
The word 'contusion' originates from Latin. It comes from the Latin word 'contusio', meaning 'a bruising'. This, in turn, is derived from the verb 'contundere', which means 'to bruise, crush, or grind'. The word 'contundere' can be broken down into 'com-' (an intensive prefix meaning 'thoroughly' or 'together') and 'tundere' (meaning 'to beat' or 'to strike').
Words sharing a similar origin, specifically the Latin root 'tundere' meaning 'to beat' or 'to strike', include 'obtuse'. 'Obtuse' comes from the Latin 'obtundere', meaning 'to blunt', which is formed from 'ob-' (meaning 'against' or 'to') and 'tundere'.