wound
wound
UK[wuːnd]US[wuːnd]
n
An injury to the body, such as a cut or tear in the skin or flesh, typically caused by violence or accident.
v
To inflict a wound on someone or something.
Etymology
The word 'wound' has a deep Germanic lineage, tracing back to the Proto-Germanic root 'wundō'. This root is itself likely derived from the Proto-Indo-European 'wenh₂-', meaning 'to strike' or 'to injure'. The semantic journey is direct and visceral: from the ancient concept of striking a blow, it evolved into the specific Old English term for an injury caused by such a blow. Over centuries, its spelling stabilized to 'wound', preserving the core meaning of physical injury inflicted by external force, a concept unchanged from its violent origins.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It is derived from the Old English noun 'wund' and verb 'wundian', which are of Germanic origin.
Examples
The soldier suffered a serious gunshot wound to his leg.
Her harsh words wounded his pride deeply.
The nurse carefully cleaned and dressed the wound.