[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

cautery \cau"tery\, n.; pl. cauteries. l. cauterium, gr. ?.
   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
see also:
cauteries cauter actual cautery potential cautery 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

cautery
     n 1: an instrument or substance used to destroy tissue for
          medical reasons eg removal of a wart by burning it
          with a hot iron or an electric current or a caustic or
          by freezing it syn: cauterant
     2: the act of coagulating blood and destroying tissue with a
        hot iron or caustic agent or by freezing syn: cauterization,
         cauterisation
see also:
cauterant cauterization cauterisation 

Cautery >> C Words
Cautery, definition of term: Cautery
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