wound

1 of 3

noun

ˈwünd 

archaic or dialectal

ˈwau̇nd 

1

a

: an injury to the body (as from violence, accident, or surgery) that typically involves laceration or breaking of a membrane (such as the skin) and usually damage to underlying tissues

b

: a cut or breach in a plant usually due to an external agent

2

: a mental or emotional hurt or blow

3

: something resembling a wound in appearance or effect

especially : a rift in or blow to a political body or social group

wound

2 of 3

verb

ˈwünd 

 archaic or dialectal  ˈwau̇nd

wounded; wounding; wounds

transitive verb

: to cause a wound to or in

intransitive verb

: to inflict a wound

wound

3 of 3

ˈwau̇nd 

past tense and past participle of wind

Synonyms

Verb

• damage
• harm
• hurt
• injure

Examples of wound in a Sentence

Noun

She suffered a knife wound to her thigh.

Her mother's scorn left a wound that never healed.

Verb

Four people were seriously wounded in the explosion.

The soldier's leg was wounded by a grenade.

Losing the match wounded his pride.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The second teen victim received flash wounds to foot, and was taken by ambulance in stable condition, Crawford said. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 8 June 2024

Photos of his injuries show the man sustained a deep 3-inch head wound. —Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024

Verb

The new round of potentially severe weather comes after a tornado in Valley View, in Cooke County, killed seven and wounded more than 100. —James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2024

The trip marks another chance for the Chiefs to celebrate their success after the last celebration — the parade in Kansas City — was marred by a shooting that killed one woman and wounded 22 others, including 11 children. —Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wund; akin to Old High German wunta wound

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing wound

• flesh wound
• rub salt in/into the wound
• twist/turn the knife (in the wound)

Kids Definition

wound

1 of 3 noun

ˈwünd 

1

: an injury involving cutting or breaking of bodily tissue (as by violence, accident, or surgery)

2

: an injury to a person's feelings

wound

2 of 3 verb

1

: to hurt by cutting or breaking bodily tissue

the broken glass wounded several people

2

: to hurt the feelings or pride of

his remark wounded her

wound

3 of 3

ˈwau̇nd 

past and past participle of wind

Medical Definition

wound

1 of 2 noun

ˈwünd 

1

a

: a physical injury to the body consisting of a laceration or breaking of the skin or mucous membrane often with damage to underlying tissue

has a deep festering knife wound across the palm

a gunshot wound

b

: an opening made in the skin or a membrane of the body incidental to a surgical operation or procedure

infection of a surgical wound

2

: a mental or emotional hurt or blow

emotional wounds of childhood

wound

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to cause a wound to or in