callus

Meanings

Plural: calli, calluses

Noun

• an area of skin that is thick or hard from continual pressure or friction (as the sole of the foot)
• bony tissue formed during the healing of a fractured bone
• (botany) an isolated thickening of tissue, especially a stiff protuberance on the lip of an orchid
• A hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.
• The material of repair in fractures of bone; a substance exuded at the site of fracture, which is at first soft or cartilaginous in consistency, but is ultimately converted into true bone and unites the fragments into a single piece.
• The new formation over the end of a cutting, before it puts out rootlets.
• In orchids, a fleshy outgrowth from the labellum.
• In grasses, a hardened extension from the base of a floret, which may or may not elongate and is often covered in hairs or bristles.
• A shining area on the frons of many species of Tabanomorpha (horse flies and relatives).

Verb

• cause a callus to form on
  • "The long march had callused his feet"
• form a callus or calluses
  • "His foot callused"
• To form such hardened tissue.

Synonyms

callosity

Related Words

calliferous, callous