callosity
/kæ'lɔsiti/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A lack of emotion or sympathy; hardheartedness: "callosity" can refer to a state of being emotionally hardened or insensitive.
- An area of thickened and hardened skin: "callosity" also refers to a localized thickening of the skin, typically caused by repeated pressure or friction.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The doctor noted a callosity on the patient's heel from years of ill-fitting shoes.
- His callosity towards the suffering of others was shocking.
Advanced Usage
- Medical/Anatomical Context: In medical terminology, a "callosity" is a specific type of hyperkeratosis, often found on weight-bearing or frequently used areas of the body.
- Plantar callosities are common in runners.
- Figurative/Literary Context: Used to describe emotional or moral insensitivity.
- The novel explores the callosity that can develop in a life of constant hardship.
Variants and Related Words
- Callous (adjective): Emotionally hardened; unfeeling. Also, having calluses.
- He was callous to her pleas.
- His hands were callous from manual labor.
- Callus (noun): Primarily refers to the area of thickened skin. (Note: "Callus" and "callosity" are often used interchangeably for the skin condition, though "callosity" can be more technical.)
- She developed a callus on her finger from writing.
Synonyms
- For hardened skin: Callus, keratosis, thickening.
- For hardheartedness: Hardness, insensitivity, obduracy, unfeelingness.
Antonyms
- For hardheartedness: Compassion, sensitivity, tenderness, empathy.
Noun
- devoid of passion or feeling; hardheartedness
- an area of skin that is thick or hard from continual pressure or friction (as the sole of the foot)