1. a substance or agent used to burn or sear tissue, especially for medical purposes such as cauterization.
Usage: medical/surgical term; often used in historical medical contexts

1. having the quality of burning or searing tissue; caustic.
Usage: medical/surgical term; less common than the noun form

Examples

• The surgeon applied a cauterant to stop the bleeding.
• Silver nitrate is a common cauterant used in minor surgical procedures.
• Historical physicians relied on cauterant substances to seal wounds.
• The cauterant properties of the chemical made it useful for removing warts.
• Modern medicine has largely replaced traditional cauterants with more precise techniques.