cauterize

/ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/

//ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cauterize" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cauterize” is uncommon English (frequency #90,268 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,268
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To burn and hence seal open tissue using a heated article or caustic agent so as to stop bleeding or minimise the risk of infection.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cauterize · cauterize · English

cauterize · rank #90,268 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #90,268
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH cavil

Nearest frequency peer: cavil (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cauterize”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cauterize” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cauterize
PropertyValue
Headwordcauterize
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#90,268
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cauterize” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cauterizefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “cavil” (#90,269), “catena” (#90,266), “Catalonian” (#90,264). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cauterize” is #90,268. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cauterize is uncommon English at frequency #90,268 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To burn and hence seal open tissue using a heated article or caustic agent so as to stop bleeding or minimise the risk of infection.".

cauterize doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French cauteriser, from Late Latin cauterizō (“to burn with a hot iron”), from Ancient Greek καυτηριάζω (kautēriázō, “to brand”), from καυτήρ (kautḗr, “branding iron”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”). The correct English form is cauterize, spelled C-A-U-T-E-R-I-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To burn and hence seal open tissue using a heated article or caustic agent so as to stop bleeding or minimise the risk of infection.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how cauterize appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. […] Lanfrank takes Notice of Tract. 3. Doct. 3. cap. 18. ſaying, "I have ſeen many who being full of Humours, have made an Iſſue under the Knee, before due Purgation had been premis'd; whence, by reaſon of the too great Defluxion of Humours, the Legs tumified, ſo that the cauterized Place corrupted, and a Cancer (or rather cacoethic Ulcer) was thereby mad…

Etymology

From Middle French cauteriser, from Late Latin cauterizō (“to burn with a hot iron”), from Ancient Greek καυτηριάζω (kautēriázō, “to brand”), from καυτήρ (kautḗr, “branding iron”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”).

This word in other languages

cauterizar(Español)cautériser(Français)kauterisieren(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cauterize"?
"cauterize" is spelled C-A-U-T-E-R-I-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/.
What does "cauterize" mean?
As a verb, "cauterize" means: To burn and hence seal open tissue using a heated article or caustic agent so as to stop bleeding or minimise the risk of infection.
How do you pronounce "cauterize"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cauterize" is /ˈkɔːtəɹaɪz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cauterize"?
From Middle French cauteriser, from Late Latin cauterizō (“to burn with a hot iron”), from Ancient Greek καυτηριάζω (kautēriázō, “to brand”), from καυτήρ (kautḗr, “branding iron”), from καίω (kaíō, “to burn”). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cauterize", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

castellan#90,263Charybdis#90,276Cheeseman#90,280Chicagoan#90,282

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list