callus
[ kal-uh s ]
/ ˈkæl əs /
noun, plural cal·lus·es.
Pathology, Physiology.
- a hardened or thickened part of the skin; a callosity.
- a new growth of osseous matter at the ends of a fractured bone, serving to unite them.
Also callose. Botany.
- the tissue that forms over the wounds of plants, protecting the inner tissues and causing healing.
- a deposit on the perforated area of a sieve tube.
- (in grasses) a tough swelling at the base of a lemma or palea.
verb (used without object), cal·lused, cal·lus·ing.
to form a callus.
verb (used with object), cal·lused, cal·lus·ing.
to produce a callus or calluses on: Heavy work callused his hands.
Nearby words
calloused, callously, callow, calloway, calloway, cab, callus, calm, calmative, calmette, calmly, calmodulin
Origin of callus
Related formsun·cal·lused, adjective
Can be confusedcallous callus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for callus
British Dictionary definitions for callus
callus
/ (ˈkæləs) /
noun plural -luses
Also called: callosity 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
an area of bony tissue formed during the healing of a fractured bone
botany
- a mass of hard protective tissue produced in woody plants at the site of an injury
- an accumulation of callose in the sieve tubes
biotechnology a mass of undifferentiated cells produced as the first stage in tissue culture
verb
to produce or cause to produce a callus
Word Origin for callus
C16: from Latin, variant of callum hardened skin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medicine definitions for callus
callus
[ kăl′əs ]
n. pl. cal•lus•es
callosity
The hard bony tissue that develops around the ends of a fractured bone during healing.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for callus
callus
[ kăl′əs ]
An area of the skin that has become hardened and thick, usually because of prolonged pressure or rubbing.
The hard bony tissue that develops around the ends of a fractured bone during healing.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.