Clavus

noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A callous growth, especially on the foot; a corn.

    "In a review of over 1000 interdigital clavuses, 65% were found in the fourth interspace, while the first and third web space clavuses were found in 17% and 16% of the patients respectively[…]"

  2. 2
    Synonym of ergot. obsolete, uncountable

    "The clavus, or ergot of grain, consists in the enlargement and elongation of the seeds […]"

  3. 3
    a hard thickening of the skin (especially on the top or sides of the toes) caused by the pressure of ill-fitting shoes wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
corncornergot

Example

More examples

"In a review of over 1000 interdigital clavuses, 65% were found in the fourth interspace, while the first and third web space clavuses were found in 17% and 16% of the patients respectively[…]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin clāvus (“a nail”). Doublet of clove.

Etymology 2

Compare Claviceps; the young grain is malformed and club-shaped.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.