Lividity

/lɪˈvɪdɪti/ noun

Definition

A dark bluish or reddish discoloration of the skin, especially from bruising or from blood pooling after death; extreme anger or rage.

Etymology

From Latin 'lividus' (black and blue, bruised), related to 'livere' (to be livid, to be envious). The color meaning came first; the anger meaning evolved because fury shows as bruising in the face.

Kelly Says

Forensic pathologists use 'livor mortis' (lividity of death) to determine when someone died—blood pools downward in a corpse, creating purple marks that tell time like a biological clock!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.