cauterize

Meaning

To burn and hence seal open tissue using a heated article or caustic agent so as to stop bleeding or minimise the risk of infection.

Frequency

49k
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/
Etymology

From Middle French cauteriser, from Late Latin cauterizō (“to burn with a hot iron”), from Ancient Greek καυτηριάζω (kautēriázō, “to brand”), from καυτήρ (kautḗr, “branding iron”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”).

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