Acupuncture
/ˈæk.jʊˌpʌŋk.tʃər/noun
A therapeutic technique that involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body.
Did you know?The English word is a modern Latinized coinage, but the practice was described in ancient Chinese medicine long before Western languages gave it a name.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
acupunctūra
“needle-puncturing or puncturing with a needle”
17th–18th Century
English
acupuncture
“A term adopted in English for the insertion of needles into the body”
Modern English
English
acupuncture
“A medical practice using fine needles inserted at specific points on the body”
Latin
Latin
acus + pungere
“needle + to prick or puncture”