A bruise or injury where skin is not broken but underlying tissue is damaged by blunt force. Medical term for what is commonly called a bruise.
From Latin 'contusio,' from 'contundere' meaning 'to beat together' or 'to bruise,' composed of 'con-' (together) + 'tundere' (to beat). Entered medical vocabulary in the 14th century.
While 'bruise' comes from Old French and sounds gentle, 'contusion' maintains the violent Latin roots of 'beating together,' making it sound more clinical and serious. This shows how medical terminology often preserves older, more formal linguistic roots.
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