callus

Everyday

1. A callus is a patch of hard, thick skin on your hands or feet, made by rubbing or pressing again and again. tree →
2. (science) A callus is also the hard lump that forms around a broken bone as it heals. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and health: gymnasts, guitar players and walkers get calluses; in science, how skin protects itself and how bones heal; it shows hard work or practice in stories.

Examples

• Playing guitar gives you calluses on your fingertips. tree →
• The gymnast had calluses on her hands. tree →
• Walking barefoot can make calluses on your feet. tree →
• The farmer's hands were rough with calluses. tree →
• A callus forms around a broken bone as it heals. tree →

Note

Plural: calluses. Homophone trap: «callous» (adjective) means unkind and uncaring, as in «a callous remark». Not the same as a blister (a bubble of fluid).