wound

¹

[ woond; Older Use and Literary wound ]

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

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.

wound

²

[ wound ]

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of wind ² and wind ³.

wound

¹

/ 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

verb

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

wound

²

/ waʊnd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of wind 2

Derived Forms

• ˈwounder, noun
• ˈwoundless, adjective
• ˈwoundingly, adverb
• ˈwoundable, adjective
• ˈwounding, adjective

Other Words From

• wounded·ly adverb
• wounding·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of wound¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of wound¹

Old English wund; related to Old Frisian wunde, Old High German wunta (German Wunde ), Old Norse und, Gothic wunds

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

More idioms and phrases containing wound

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

Synonym Study

See injury.

Example Sentences

In order for DNA to fit within a cell's nucleus, it is wound up around histone proteins to form a structure called "chromatin."

From Science Daily

Fibroblasts are specialized cells in connective tissues that play an important role in wound healing and tissue repair.

From Science Daily

"They’ve already been through so much — and each time it happens, it kind of rips apart an old wound," he said of his clients.

From Salon

Within minutes, the mother of seven and grandmother of 14 lay dying in the dust of the olive grove, with a bullet wound in her chest - she’d been shot by an Israeli soldier.

From BBC

MSF says that on 11 November one of its ambulances carrying three young men with gunshot wounds was stopped by Haitian law enforcement officers.

From BBC

Related Words

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