cauterize
verb
cau·ter·ize
ˈkȯ-tə-ˌrīz 
cauterized; cauterizing
1
: to sear with a cautery or caustic
cauterize a wound
2
: to make insensible : deaden
They will do anything to stay in office; their consciences have been cauterized.
Examples of cauterize in a Sentence
The doctors cauterized the wound.
time had cauterized his bitterness, and he was willing to let bygones be bygones
Recent Examples on the Web
All of his attempts to cut away his past, to cauterize himself and separate himself from it, would fail.
—
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
During this procedure, a surgeon makes a slit in the cyst and cauterize (burns the area to prevent bleeding) the edges of the incision, allowing the cyst to drain continuously.
—Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024
As Hercules cut off the Hydra’s heads, Iolaus cauterized the stumps with a burning torch to prevent new growth, allowing the pair to defeat the monster.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
With the outreach to contributors drawing skepticism and even outrage, the White House tried to cauterize the wound with an announcement yesterday that the 81-year-old president will sit down for an extended interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on July 5.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cauterize 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Nov. 2024
During this procedure, a surgeon makes a slit in the cyst and cauterize (burns the area to prevent bleeding) the edges of the incision, allowing the cyst to drain continuously.
—Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 27 Sep. 2024
As Hercules cut off the Hydra’s heads, Iolaus cauterized the stumps with a burning torch to prevent new growth, allowing the pair to defeat the monster.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2024
With the outreach to contributors drawing skepticism and even outrage, the White House tried to cauterize the wound with an announcement yesterday that the 81-year-old president will sit down for an extended interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos on July 5.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for cauterize
Dictionary Entries Near cauterize
Cite this Entry
“Cauterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cauterize. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cauterize
verb
cau·ter·ize
ˈkȯt-ə-ˌrīz
cauterized; cauterizing
: to burn with a hot iron or a chemical substance usually to destroy infected tissue
cauterize a wound
Medical Definition
cauterize
transitive verb
cau·ter·ize
variants
or British cauterise
cauterized or British cauterised; cauterizing or British cauterising
: to sear with a cautery or caustic
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share