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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use callus in a sentence

Hertle was determined to look at what was going on in the callus.
Plant Cells of Different Species Can Swap Organelles|Viviane Callier|January 20, 2021|Quanta Magazine
Then, while observing live cells in the callus, Hertle caught images of the chloroplasts in the act of migration.
Plant Cells of Different Species Can Swap Organelles|Viviane Callier|January 20, 2021|Quanta Magazine
About a decade ago, Bock and his team grafted together two species of tobacco plants and sequenced genes from both sides of the callus.
Plant Cells of Different Species Can Swap Organelles|Viviane Callier|January 20, 2021|Quanta Magazine
You can use a urea-based cream to soften calluses, and wear socks or even plastic wrap after moisturizing your feet at night to help it do its work.
‘A pandemic of broken toes’: How life at home has been painful for feet|Elizabeth Chang|January 12, 2021|Washington Post

Diabetics should not treat calluses themselves, Andersen and Pearl warned, and should be keeping up with their regular visits to their podiatrist to guard against foot ulcers.
‘A pandemic of broken toes’: How life at home has been painful for feet|Elizabeth Chang|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
His fingertips were callused, worked rough with exertion well beyond the normal call of duty.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom|Cory Doctorow
It may even occur that the whole inner bark around the trunk is of a callused nature, without any open cankers showing at all.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the|Various
In this manner, cuttings which have been obtained in winter or spring can be callused before planting time.
The Nursery Book|Liberty Hyde Bailey
This year we tried some black walnut grafts and found that they callused in 10 to 14 days when placed in a grafting case.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Forty-Second Annual Meeting|Northern Nut Growers Association
These callused rapidly and were planted immediately in the nursery.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Forty-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

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 related to callus

How to use callus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for callus

Word Origin for callus

Scientific definitions for callus