胼胝 (pián zhī) — (medical) callus, callosity; (literary) toil, hard work (as in 胼手胝足)

Definition

A medical/literary word for 'callus' (hardened skin on hands or feet from labor), often seen in the chengyu 胼手胝足 ('callused hands and feet') meaning tireless hard work.

noun
(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。
    Yī shēng 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.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

胼piáncallus on hand
胝zhīcallus on foot

胼 and 胝, callus on hands and feet, combine to mean thickened skin.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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