Wound (homographs)

There are two words written wound. They have no connection: they have different meanings, and they are pronounced differently.

• One is pronounced 'wOOnd' (IPA: /wuːnd/). This dates back to old Germanic, and exists both as a noun and a verb. The basic meaning is 'hurt' or 'injury' to a living body, human or other animal.
  • The noun 'a wound' is 'a [serious] injury' in which the flesh is cut or torn. A mortal wound is one which will cause death; a flesh wound is one that damages no internal organs, breaks no bones, and will usually lead to recovery. Literal wounds are usually caused by fighting: it is common for casualty lists after battles to be divided into 'dead' and wounded, and unlucky soldiers are sometimes said to have died of their wounds.
  • The verb 'to wound' means 'to inflict a wound'. Hunters sometimes wound a deer without killing it. The verb is often used in the passive: "Two men wsere killed in the skirmish, and seven wounded". Figuratively, people can be wounded emotionally, that is, have their feelings [deeply] hurt: "She was wounded by her husband's attention to the young blonde". This verb is regular: its past forms are both wounded.
• The other wound is pronounced 'wOWnd', IPA: /waʊnd/. This is the past tense and participle of the irregular verb 'to wind', meaning generally 'to move in a circular way': for a fuller account of its meaning, see Wind (W-EYE-ND) verb. It too has a possible homographic confusion: see Wind (homographs).