Encallow

/ɛnˈkæloʊ/ verb

Definition

To make something hard or callous; to harden or make insensitive.

Etymology

From en- + callow (which means inexperienced or immature, from Old English ceale, meaning bald or bare). The prefix 'en-' inverted the meaning toward hardening rather than softening.

Kelly Says

Wait—'callow' means young and inexperienced, so 'encallow' meaning to harden is backwards in an interesting way. It's like saying 'make youthful' when you mean 'make hard'—a linguistic quirk that makes you do a double-take!

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