English edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Latin acus (needle) + punctuate.

Verb edit

acupunctuate (third-person singular simple present acupunctuates, present participle acupunctuating, simple past and past participle acupunctuated)

  1. (rare) To pierce with a needle; to treat with acupuncture.
    • 1830, George Tate, A Treatise on Hysteria, page 72:
      In the course of these months she was bled, leeched, acupunctuated, [] .
    • 1865, “A Basque Pastorale”, in Macmillan's Magazine, volume 65, number 9, page 251:
      Indeed, a lady quietly remarked to the writer, with that exquisite sweet malice wherewith French ladies so much delight to acu-punctuate their English sisters, "I have never seen any English lady handle her fan nearly so gracefully as that Basque boy does; they ALWAYS make themselves in a heat by blowing so hard, but look at him."
    • 1975, The American Scholar[1], volume 44, page 133:
      Who do you suppose get acupunctuated better, a Tibetan yak-herd or Chairman Mao?

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