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callus Definition

cal·lus (kaləs)

noun pl. -·luses

  1. a hardened, thickened place on the skin
  2. the hard substance that forms at the break in a fractured bone and serves to reunite the parts
  3. a disorganized mass of cells that develops over cuts or wounds on plants, as at the ends of stem or leaf cuttings

Etymology: L, var. of callum, hard skin

intransitive verb, transitive verb

to develop or cause to develop a callus

callus Usage Examples

Object

  • hand: He dismissed me with a wave of his callused hand.
  • formation: This dry skin is also more prone to callus formation under areas of pressure ( Knowles et al. , 1997 ).

Converse of object

  • have: Mature males can be one and a half times the length of mature females and the females often have calluses on their dorsal humps.
  • form: The tree responds with growing a protective callus formed of cork.
  • eliminate: Total Foot Care Cream is a luxurious conditioning formula that softens and eliminates calluses, and heals chapped areas of the foot.
  • prevent: Foam Hand Grips Make mounting and dismounting more comfortable, and help prevent calluses and slippery hands when performing chin-ups.
  • call: The most common cause of discomfort under the ball of the foot is a build-up of hard skin ( called callus ) and/or corns.
  • develop: The foot may develop callus over sites that are taking extra pressure, eg from ill fitting footwear.

Adjective modifier

  • sharp: The sharp callus of the mature fruit can become entangled in the wool of sheep ( Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962 ).
  • hard: Their hands bore the hard calluses of heavy manual labor, their backbones carried the scars of years of knocks against rough hewn surfaces.
  • thick: When not too thick callus protects the skin from further damage.

Preposition: on

  • palm: This product can also be applied to calluses on the palms, which are often caused by strenuous activity.

Modifies a noun

  • formation: In the past, school tissue culture methods have relied on callus formation using carrot or cauliflower.
  • tissue: The first reaction is the formation of callus tissue which protects the wound.

Preposition: of

  • fruit: The sharp callus of the mature fruit can become entangled in the wool of sheep ( Watt & Breyer-Brandwijk 1962 ).

Browse dictionary entries near callus

  1. callow
  2. callous
  3. callosity
  4. callose
  5. Callisto
  6. callisthenics
  7. callipygian
  8. calliper
  9. calliopsis
  10. Calliope
  1. calm
  2. calm down
  3. calmative
  4. calmly
  5. calmness
  6. calmodulin
  7. calomel
  8. caloric
  9. calorie
  10. calorific