scarification
noun/ˌskɛɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ · /ˌskaɹɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
Etymology From Old French scarificacion, from Late Latin scarificatio. See scarify for more.
1
The act of scarifying: raking the ground harshly to remove weeds, etc.
2
A medieval form of penance in which the skin was damaged with a knife or hot iron.
3
The scratching, etching, burning / branding, or superficially cutting designs, pictures, or words into the skin as a permanent body modification.
4
Medicine, Sciences A route of administration for some vaccinations and tests: rather than hypodermic injection, the site is inoculated intradermally not with any injection but rather only with small, shallow pricks or scratches; the needle is not hollow.
- Synonyms
- scarifying
- Related terms
- scarifier
- Hypernyms
- intradermal administration