# acupuncture

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈæ.kjuˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃɜ/ · frequency rank #27,355

## Definitions
1. The insertion of needles into the (living) tissue of the body affecting the Qi or energy along energetic pathways of the body called meridians. This modality is traditionally used as a form of internal medical treating all disease and illnesses, in Western countries it is widely used for the purposes of pain relief.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-der.
Proto-Italic *akus
New Latin acus
Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ-der.
Proto-Italic *pungō
New Latin pungō
New Latin pūnctus
Proto-Indo-European *-tew-?
Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂?
New Latin -tūra
New Latin pūnctūra
New Latin acūpūnctūralbor.
English acupuncture
Learned borrowing from New Latin acūpūnctūra, from acus + pūnctūra. First attested in 1684. By surface analysis, acu- + puncture.

## Common misspellings (16)
`accupuncture`, `acpuuncture`, `acupnucture`, `acuppuncture`, `acupucnture`, `acupunccture`, `acupunctrue`, `acupunctture`, `acupunctuer`, `acupuncturre`, `acupuncutre`, `acupunncture`, `acupuntcure`, `acuupncture`, `aucpuncture`, `caupuncture`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/acupuncture