acupuncture

Meanings

1. 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.

1. To treat with acupuncture.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ-der. Proto-Italic *akus New Latin acus Proto-Indo-European *pewǵ-der. Proto-Italic *pungō New Latin pungō New Latin pūnctus Proto-Indo-European *-tew-? Proto-Indo-European *-r-eh₂? New Latin -tūra New Latin pūnctūra New Latin acūpūnctūralbor. English acupuncture Learned borrowing from New Latin acūpūnctūra, from acus + pūnctūra. First attested in 1684. By surface analysis, acu- + puncture.