n. [ F. cautère, L. cauterium, fr. Gr. &unr_; a branding iron, fr. &unr_; to burn. Cf. Caustic, Cautery. ] A hot iron for searing or cauterizing. Minsheu. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cauterizing substance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The use or application of a caustic; cautery. Ferrand. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. cautèrisation. ] (Med.) The act of searing some morbid part by the application of a cautery or caustic; also, the effect of such application. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cauterized p. pr. & vb. n. Cauterizing. ] [ L. cauterizare, Gr. &unr_;, fr. a branding iron: cf. F. cautérised.. See cauter. ] 1. To burn or sear with a cautery or caustic. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To sear, as the conscience. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Cauteries [ L. cauterium, Gr. &unr_;. See Cauter. ] 1. (Med.) 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The iron of other agent in cauterizing. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) Cautery effected by a knife or needle heated by the passage of a galvanic current. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Thermo- + cautery. ] (Surg.) Cautery by the application of heat. [ 1913 Webster ]

Paquelin's thermocautery, thermocautery by means of a hollow platinum point, which is kept constantly hot by the passage through it of benzine vapor. [ 1913 Webster ]