cauterize

C2+ Topic:Health & Medicine

Also spelled cauterised

US /ˈkɔtəˌraɪz/ UK /ˈkɔːtəraɪz/
verb

Meanings

  1. 1
    verb

    to burn tissue to stop bleeding or prevent infection

    The surgeon moved quickly to cauterize the wound.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 verb · to burn tissue to stop... burnsearbrand
Word family
Derived forms cauterizationcauterized
Related forms cauterycaustic

Etymology

From Late Latin cauterizare, from Greek kauteriazein ('to brand with a hot iron'), from kauter ('branding iron'), from kaiein ('to burn').

View etymology graph ->

Topics

markdown

Send feedback

Optional — only if you'd like a reply.