callus
callus Lexical Profile
callus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A thickened and hardened part of the skin or soft tissue, especially in an area that has been subjected to friction or pressure.
"Years of playing the acoustic guitar had left thick calluses on the tips of her fingers."
A bony healing tissue that forms around the ends of broken bone.
"The X-ray showed that a healthy callus had begun to bridge the fracture in his tibia."
A hard formation of tissue, especially new tissue formed over a wound on a plant or grown in an in vitro culture.
"The botanist transferred the undifferentiated plant callus onto a nutrient-rich agar medium to induce root growth."
• verb
To form a thickened, hardened area on the skin or plant tissue, or to cause such a hardened area to form.
"Heavy manual labor with a shovel will quickly callus the palms of your hands."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse the noun "callus" (a thickened area of skin) with its homophone "callous", which is an adjective meaning emotionally insensitive or cruel; however, both "callused" and "calloused" are accepted spellings for having hardened skin.
• Rhymes for callus
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-16th century directly from Latin "callus" (a variant of "callum"), meaning hard skin.