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3. black and blue

black and blue

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black and blue

if a person or part of their body is black and blue, their skin is covered with bruises (= black marks caused by being hit) He was beaten black and blue at boarding school.

See also: and, black, blue

black and blue

Badly bruised, as in That fall down the stairs left me black and blue all over. Even though multicolored bruises rarely include the color black, this term has been so used since about 1300.

See also: and, black, blue

black and blue

mod. bruised, physically or emotionally. I’m still black and blue from my divorce.

See also: and, black, blue