'Actual cautery' definitions:

Definition of 'Actual cautery'

From: GCIDE
  • Cautery \Cau"ter*y\, 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]