Meanings
present singular third person contuses · participle present contusing · participle past contused · past contused
- transitiveengineeringTo injure without breaking the skin; to bruise.
His mouth had been struck or kicked. The lips were severely contused, reddened.
1965, John Fowles, The Magus2 more examples
How many uteruses, vaginas and perineums, suppose you, would we have to contuse and lacerate before we acquired the amount of skill and dexterity to which the gentlemen who advocate the forceps have attained?
1869, St Louis Medical Society, The Medical Archives, volume IIIThis would have to be followed by a calculation of 'reasonable force', knowing that any bruising, scratching or contusing would expose me to a charge of assault.
2 Nov 2008, Donald Macleod, The Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latincontundere“pound or beat small”
- Englishcontuse
From (the participle stem of) Latin contundere (“pound or beat small”), from com- + tundere (“beat, thump”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Greek μωλωπίζω
- μωλωπίζω (molopízo)To injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
Russian контузить, ушибить
- контузить (kontuzitʹ)To injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
- ушибить (ušibitʹ)To injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
Spanish contundir, contusionar
- contundirTo injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
- contusionarTo injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
Swedish mörbulta
- mörbultaTo injure without breaking the skin; to bruise
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with contuse
Anagrams
Cite this entry
contuse. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contuse
“contuse.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contuse. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contuse,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contuse.
Source: contuse on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.