noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌkɔːtəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/
British, Southern, Standard:/ˌkoːtəɹɑjˈzɛjʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
/ˌkɔtəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/without the cot–caught merger
[ˌkhɔɾəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən]without the cot–caught merger
[-ʃn̩]without the cot–caught merger
cot-caught-merger:/ˌkɑtəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən/
cot-caught-merger:[ˌkhɑɾəɹaɪˈzeɪʃən]
cot-caught-merger:[-ʃn̩]
Australian, New-Zealand:/ˌkoːtəɹɑeˈzæɪʃən/
Scotland:/ˌkɔtəɾaɪˈzeʃən/
Wales:/ˌkɔːtəɾaɪˈzeːʃən/without the toe–tow merger
CMU ARPABET:K AO2 T ER0 IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The act of searing organic tissue by the application of a cautery or caustic; also, the effect of such application.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the act of coagulating blood and destroying tissue with a hot iron or caustic agent or by freezing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cautery, cauterisation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: operation, surgery, surgical operation, surgical procedure, surgical process
Narrower terms: cryocautery, thermocautery
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English cauterize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English cauterization From cauterize + -ation.
Across languages
Translations
11 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
обгаряне
(obgarjane)
— act of searing some morbid part
Catalan:
cauterització
— act of searing some morbid part
French:
adustion
— act of searing some morbid part
French:
cautérisation
— act of searing some morbid part
Galician:
cauterización
— act of searing some morbid part
Italian:
cauterizzazione
— act of searing some morbid part
Russian:
прижига́ние
(prižigánije)
— act of searing some morbid part
Spanish:
cauterización
— act of searing some morbid part
Swedish:
kauterisering
— act of searing some morbid part
Ottoman Turkish:
داغ
(dag, dağ)
— act of searing some morbid part
Walloon:
broûlaedje
— act of searing some morbid part