callus

[ kal-uhs ]

/ ˈkæl əs /

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See synonyms for callus on Thesaurus.com

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.

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Origin of callus

1555–65; <Latin callus, masculine variant of callum;see callous

OTHER WORDS FROM callus

un·cal·lused, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH callus

callous, callus

Words nearby callus

call to mind, call to order, call to quarters, call-up, call upon, callus, call waiting, calm, calmative, calm before the storm, Calmette

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use callus in a sentence

She had earned some of the same rewards as the three Olympians — the calluses.
Leah Falland was on her way to the Olympics, and then came the fall and the shock|Adam Kilgore|June 25, 2021|Washington Post
The things that really hurt are gravel, knobbly things, things with a lot of texture, until you have calluses.
These Shoes Are Killing Me! (Ep. 296 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 20, 2021|Freakonomics
In some ways the foot would become the shoe needed to make it through daily life because the body has the ability to build up calluses at the bottom of the foot.
These Shoes Are Killing Me! (Ep. 296 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|May 20, 2021|Freakonomics
Instead of futilely trying to stay smooth, eventually it will develop calluses so it can better meet the challenge.
6 Principles for Navigating Challenges in Life|Brad Stulberg|May 6, 2021|Outside Online

As Otto and I take our first cautious steps into the world together, I wish I could keep our bubble wrapped around us, grow calluses and not care when people stare, become impenetrable.
My Pandemic Baby Is Pulling Us Out of Our Cozy Cave. But How Will the World See a Disabled Mother Like Me?|Rebekah Taussig|April 28, 2021|Time
This callus may form upon any cut surface, or even where the bark has been abraded.
American Pomology|J. A. Warder
You can get the callus almost every time, but it is very difficult to secure the development of roots afterwards.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
President Morris: How about getting callus by three months, we will say, in storage?
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
On January 11 the cambium ring at the lower end of the cuttings had begun to callus.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
The butternut and black walnut hardly showed any callus at all after keeping the sphagnum wet as long as my men would do it.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association

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

Medical 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.

Scientific 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.

callus

Origin of callus

OTHER WORDS FROM callus

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH callus

Words nearby callus

Words related to callus

How to use callus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for callus

Word Origin for callus

Medical definitions for callus

Scientific definitions for callus