Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense cauterizes, present participle cauterizing, past tense, past participle cauterizedregional note: in BRIT, also use cauterise
verb
If a doctor cauterizes a wound, he or she burns it with heat or with a chemical in order to close it up and prevent it from becoming infected.
He cauterized the wound with a piece of red-hot iron. [VERB noun]
cauterize in British English
or cauterise (ˈkɔːtəˌraɪz)
verb
(transitive)
(esp in the treatment of a wound) to burn or sear (body tissue) with a hot iron or caustic agent
Derived forms
cauterization (ˌcauteriˈzation) or cauterisation (ˌcauteriˈsation)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Old French cauteriser, from Late Latin cautērizāre, from cautērium branding iron, from Greek kautērion, from kaiein to burn
cauterize in American English
(ˈkɔtərˌaɪz)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈcauterˌized or ˈcauterˌizing
to burn with a hot needle, a laser, a caustic substance, or an electric current, so as to destroy dead or unwanted tissue, prevent the spread of infection, seal blood vessels, etc.
Derived forms
cauterization (ˌcauteriˈzation)
noun
Word origin
ME cauterizen < LL cauterizare < Gr kautēriazein < kautērion, kautēr, burning or branding iron < kaiein, to burn
Examples of 'cauterize' in a sentence
cauterize
He wished they were back by the Dien Bien Phu kitchen so he could cauterize the wound.