acupuncture
UK /ˈæ.kjuˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃɜ/ · US /ˈæ.kjuˌpʌŋk.t͡ʃɝ/ noun, verb
Forms acupunctures acupuncturing acupunctured
- noun 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.
- verb (transitive) To treat with acupuncture.
Synonyms
Etymology
Learned borrowing from New Latin acūpūnctūra, from Latin acus + pūnctūra. First attested in 1684. By surface analysis, acu- + puncture.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Pricking with a needle; a needle prick. Specifically (Med.):
- noun The insertion of needles into the living tissues for remedial purposes.
- verb To treat with acupuncture.
Etymology [L. acus needle + punctura a pricking, fr. pungere to prick: cf. F. acuponcture.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “acupuncture”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details