角質の
解説 Definition
角からできた、角に似た、または角のように硬い。特に皮膚や生体組織が硬く角質化した状態をいう。俗に「性的に興奮した」を表す一般的な用法とは別の語義。
Made of, resembling, or having the hard texture of horn, especially when describing thickened skin or biological tissue. This anatomical sense is distinct from the word’s much more common informal sexual meaning.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
ここでは俗な性的意味ではなく、horn「角」に -y「〜の性質をもつ」が付いた原義の「角質の・角のように硬い」です。皮膚や組織の硬くなった質感を horn の硬さと結び付けましょう。現代の日常英語では性的な意味が非常に強いため、科学的文脈では corneous や keratinized のほうが誤解を避けやすい語です。
For this sense, divide horny into horn plus -y: it describes something that has the hard, tough quality of an animal’s horn. Imagine thickened skin or tissue becoming horn-like. This is the older literal and anatomical meaning, not the common informal meaning connected with sexual arousal. Because the informal sense is now dominant in everyday English, scientific or medical writing may use clearer alternatives such as corneous, keratinized, or calloused when those terms fit the exact tissue being described.
例文
The seed is covered by a hard, horny layer.
その種は角のように硬い層で覆われている。
Repeated pressure produced a horny patch of skin on his palm.
繰り返し圧力がかかったため、彼の手のひらに角質化した部分ができた。
horny の類義語・関連語
horny の語源・成り立ち Etymology
古英語 hornig（角のある）から。語根 horn（角）に形容詞接尾辞 -y が付いた形。角（つの）が硬く突き出す様子から「角質の、角状の」の意味に。関連語: horn（角）、unicorn（一角獣、ラテン語 uni-＋cornu「角」）。角の硬い質感が原義。
Horny is formed from horn and the adjective suffix -y, literally meaning “having horns” or “having the nature of horn.” It continues Old English hornig, which described something horned or horn-like. From the hardness of animal horn, the word developed an anatomical sense for hardened or callous tissue. Its later informal sexual sense is separate from the “horn-like” meaning required here and now dominates many everyday contexts.
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