cauterize v.

"act of medical cauterizing," c. 1400, from Old French cauterisation (14c.) and directly from Late Latin cauterizationem (nominative cauterizatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of cauterizare "to burn or brand with a hot iron" (see cauterize).

1540s, "heated metal used for burning or searing animal tissue," from Latin cauterium "branding iron," from Greek kauterion, from kauteriazein (see cauterize). From 1570s as "a burning or searing" (by a hot iron or caustic substance).