Definition
胼胝 is a formal, medical term for a callus — a thickened area of skin caused by repeated friction or pressure, most often on the hands or feet. The second sense 'toil/work hard' is a metaphorical extension from the literal callus, used in literary or classical contexts (e.g. 胼手胝足 'callused hands and feet' meaning hard labor). For everyday conversation, 老茧 (lǎo jiǎn) is the common word for 'callus'.
n.
(medical) calluscallosity(literary) toilhard work (as in 胼手胝足)
Examples
- 胼胝。Tā shǒu shàng yīn wèi cháng qī láo dòng zhǎng mǎn le pián zhī.His hands are covered in calluses from long-term labor.
- 胼胝。Yīshēng jiàn yì yòng wēn shuǐ pào jiǎo lái ruǎn huà jiǎo dǐ de pián zhī.The doctor recommended soaking feet in warm water to soften the calluses on the soles.
- 胼胝，。Gǔ rén pián shǒu zhī zú, kāi kěn huāng dì.The ancients, with callused hands and feet, reclaimed wasteland.
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