transitive verb. To burn or sear with a cautery.

transitive verb. To deaden, as to feelings or moral scruples; callous.

To burn or sear with fire or a hot iron, or with caustics, as morbid flesh.

To sear, in a figurative sense.

transitive verb. To burn or sear with a cautery or caustic.

transitive verb. To sear, as the conscience.

verb. To burn, sear, or freeze tissue using a hot iron, electric current or a caustic agent.

verb. burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent

verb. make insensitive or callous; deaden feelings or morals

"Sources who tracked the investigation tell Newsmax that the main target of the breach was the Obama passport file, and that the contractor accessed the file in order to "cauterize" the records of potentially embarrassing information."

cauterized  cauterizing  

care for  harden  indurate  inure  treat  

blaze  blister  brand  burn  burn in  

cauterized  cauterizes  cauterizing