black and blue

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ˈblack-and-ˈblue,  adj. 

1. discolored, as by bruising:
   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

black-and-blue  (blak′ən blo̅o̅′), adj. 

1. discolored, as by bruising;
   exhibiting ecchymosis:
   a black-and-blue mark on my knee.

• Middle English 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

black-and-blue adjective

1. (of the skin) discoloured, as from a bruise
2. feeling pain or soreness, as from a beating