Cautery is a medical procedure that involves the use of heat or a caustic agent to burn or destroy tissue. It is commonly used to stop bleeding, remove warts or skin tags, and treat certain types of cancer. The term 'cautery' is derived from the Latin word 'cauterium, ' which means 'to burn.' The crossword solution for the term 'cautery' is 'IRON, ' as it is often used in the form of an IRON rod to perform the procedure.