cauterize
verb /ˈkɔːtəraɪz/
/ˈkɔːtəraɪz/
(British English also cauterise)
(medical)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they cauterize | /ˈkɔːtəraɪz/ /ˈkɔːtəraɪz/ |
| he / she / it cauterizes | /ˈkɔːtəraɪzɪz/ /ˈkɔːtəraɪzɪz/ |
| past simple cauterized | /ˈkɔːtəraɪzd/ /ˈkɔːtəraɪzd/ |
| past participle cauterized | /ˈkɔːtəraɪzd/ /ˈkɔːtəraɪzd/ |
| -ing form cauterizing | /ˈkɔːtəraɪzɪŋ/ /ˈkɔːtəraɪzɪŋ/ |
- cauterize something to burn a wound, using a chemical or heat, in order to stop the loss of blood or to prevent infection
- The wound needs to be cauterized.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French cauteriser, from late Latin cauterizare, from Greek kautēriazein, from kautērion ‘branding iron’, from kaien ‘to burn’.