Cautery
Pronunciation : Cau"ter*y
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [L. cauterium, Gr. Cauter.]
Definition : 1. (Med.)
Defn: A burning or searing, as of morbid flesh, with a hot iron, or by application of a caustic that will burn, corrode, or destroy animal tissue.
2. The iron of other agent in cauterizing. Actual cautery, a substance or agent (as a hot iron) which cauterizes or sears by actual heat; or the burning so effected. -- Potential cautery, a substance which cauterizes by chemical action; as, lunar caustic; also, the cauterizing produced by such substance.
pl. Cauteries.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913