Wound Meaning
/ˈwuːnd/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAn injury, such as a cut, stab, or tear, to a (usually external) part of the body.
nounA hurt to a person's feelings, reputation, prospects, etc.
Sentence Examples
Rub salt in the wound.
The nurse wound my leg with a bandage.
He was found to have a single bullet wound in his chest.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldier received a deep ____ on his leg during the battle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor cleaned several the deep ____ on his leg to prevent any significant and potential infection tonight today.
Word Origin & History
Noun from Middle English wund, from Old English wund, from Proto-Germanic *wundō. Verb from Middle English wunden, from Old English wundian, from Proto-Germanic *wundōną.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The visitors were without Wayne Rooney after he suffered a head wound in training, which also keeps him out of England's World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine."
— 2013 September 1, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 1-0 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport:
"Showers of blood / Rained from the wounds of slaughtered Englishmen."
— 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act 3, scene 3]:
"I went below, and did what I could for my wound; it pained me a good deal, and still bled freely; but it was neither deep nor dangerous, nor did it greatly gall me when I used my arm."
— 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC:
"I find neglect or rejection from my own community much harder to take and more wounding than the same thing or worse from the outside world."
— 1984 December 8, Michael Bronski, Andrea Loewenstein, “Family & Friends: Writers Talk Community”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 21, page 12:
"“[…] Captain Markam had been found lying half-insensible, gagged and bound, on the floor of the sitting-room, his hands and feet tightly pinioned, and a woollen comforter wound closely round his mouth and neck ; whilst Mrs. Markham's jewel-case, containing valuable jewellery and the secret plans of Port Arthur, had disappeared.[…]”"
— 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Fate of the Artemis”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The soldier received a deep ____ on his leg during the battle.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The doctor cleaned several the deep ____ on his leg to prevent any significant and potential infection tonight today.