View source for Callous - callus

These two words are, historically, the same.  (They both derive from the [[Latin]] word '''callus''', meaning â€˜hardened skinâ€™.)  In [[modern English]], however, their spellings are different.  In academic English, you must get them right.

The ''[[OED]]'' gives a meaning for the spelling '''callous''' as a [[noun]] as: â€œerroneous spelling of '''CALLUS''' n.â€  That should make my point.

*A '''callus''' is a patch of hardened skin, usually found on the hands or feet.  (The word is a [[noun]], the name of a phenomenon.)  It is associated with hard physical effort: if you dig all day for a season, you will get calluses on your hands; if you walk in bare feet (or ill-fitting shoes), you will get calluses on your feet.  '''Callus''' is nearly always used literally, to mean exactly the physical patch of hard skin.

*'''Callous''' is an [[adjective]].  It is nearly always used, in everyday English, [[figurative]]ly, to mean â€˜hardâ€™, â€˜hardenedâ€™, or â€˜without any ordinary decency or kindnessâ€™.  We say that the police are '''callous''' when they treat their prisoners violently, without paying any attention to what they may be feeling; or that a cruel trainer may treat a dog '''callous'''ly by, for example, not giving it enough to eat.

A '''callous''' employer may watch his workers get '''callus'''es without ever giving them time to rest.

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