callus

[ kal-uhs ]

noun

, plural cal·lus·es.

1. Pathology, Physiology.
   1. a hardened or thickened part of the skin; a callosity.
   2. a new growth of osseous matter at the ends of a fractured bone, serving to unite them.
2. Also Botany.
   1. the tissue that forms over the wounds of plants, protecting the inner tissues and causing healing.
   2. a deposit on the perforated area of a sieve tube.
   3. (in grasses) a tough swelling at the base of a lemma or palea.

verb (used without object)

, cal·lused, cal·lus·ing.

1. to form a callus.

verb (used with object)

, cal·lused, cal·lus·ing.

1. to produce a callus or calluses on:

   Heavy work callused his hands.

callus

/ ˈkæləs /

noun

1. Also calledcallosity an area of skin that is hard or thick, esp on the palm of the hand or sole of the foot, as from continual friction or pressure
2. an area of bony tissue formed during the healing of a fractured bone
3. botany
   1. a mass of hard protective tissue produced in woody plants at the site of an injury
   2. an accumulation of callose in the sieve tubes
4. biotechnology a mass of undifferentiated cells produced as the first stage in tissue culture

verb

1. to produce or cause to produce a callus

callus

/ kăl′əs /

1. An area of the skin that has become hardened and thick, usually because of prolonged pressure or rubbing.
2. The hard bony tissue that develops around the ends of a fractured bone during healing.

Other Words From

• un·callused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of callus¹

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin callus, masculine variant of callum “tough skin, any hard substance”; callous

Word History and Origins

Origin of callus¹

C16: from Latin, variant of callum hardened skin

Example Sentences

Her hand had been rough with calluses around my wrist, and she wore the clothing of a man.

From Literature

“I want to build up a callus of hard work,” Fisch said.

From Seattle Times

I remembered how her hands felt in mine, warm, deeply lined, callused from a lifetime of hard work.

From Los Angeles Times

“There’s a little bit of calluses built up where the rib was broken. But it’s mostly comfortable now, nothing too crazy.”

From Seattle Times

And then drugs — when you start really doing drugs, you’re just building a callus.

From Los Angeles Times