cauterize

[ kaw-tuh-rahyz ]
/ ˈkɔ təˌraɪz /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR cauterize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), cau·ter·ized, cau·ter·iz·ing.

to burn with a hot iron, electric current, fire, or a caustic, especially for curative purposes; treat with a cautery.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Also especially British, cau·ter·ise.

Origin of cauterize

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin cautērizāre to brand, equivalent to cautēr- (< Greek kautḗr branding iron, equivalent to kau-, variant stem of kaíein to burn (cf. caustic), + -tēr agent suffix) + -izāre -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM cauterize

cau·ter·i·za·tion, nounun·cau·ter·ized, adjective

Words nearby cauterize

caustic lime, caustic potash, caustic soda, caustic surface, cauterant, cauterize, cautery, caution, caution money, cautionary, cautious
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to cauterize

sear, burn, singe

Example sentences from the Web for cauterize

British Dictionary definitions for cauterize

cauterize

cauterise

/ (ˈkɔːtəˌraɪz) /

verb

(tr) (esp in the treatment of a wound) to burn or sear (body tissue) with a hot iron or caustic agent

Derived forms of cauterize

cauterization or cauterisation, noun

Word Origin for cauterize

C14: from Old French cauteriser, from Late Latin cautērizāre, from cautērium branding iron, from Greek kautērion, from kaiein to burn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for cauterize

cauterize
[ kô′tə-rīz′ ]

v.

To burn or sear with a cautery.

Other words from cauterize

cau′ter•i•za′tion (-tər-ĭ-zā′shən) n.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for cauterize

cauterize
[ kô′tə-rīz′ ]

To burn or sear with a cautery, as in surgical procedures.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.