The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Acupuncture \Ac`u*punc"ture\, v. t.
   To treat with acupuncture.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Acupuncture \Ac`u*punc"ture\ ([a^]k`[-u]*p[u^][ng]k"t[-u]r or
   [a^]k"[-u]*p[u^][ng]k`ch[-u]r), n. [L. acus needle + punctura
   a pricking, fr. pungere to prick: cf. F. acuponcture.]
   Pricking with a needle; a needle prick. Specifically (Med.):
   The insertion of needles into the living tissues for remedial
   purposes, such as to relieve pain. It was first recorded as
   being practised in China, and the technique is believed to be
   over 2,000 years old. AS
   [1913 Webster]

         Acupuncture
         (An NIH Consensus Statement prepared by a nonadvocate,
         non-Federal panel of experts)
         November 3-5, 1997
         Vol. 15, No. 5
         Acupuncture as a therapeutic intervention is widely
         practiced in the United States. While there have been
         many studies of its potential usefulness, many of these
         studies provide equivocal results because of design,
         sample size, and other factors. The issue is further
         complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of
         appropriate controls, such as placebos and sham
         acupuncture groups. However, promising results have
         emerged, for example, showing efficacy of acupuncture
         in adult post-operative and chemotherapy nausea and
         vomiting and in post-operative dental pain. There are
         other situations such as addiction, stroke
         rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis
         elbow, fibromyalgia, myofacial pain, osteoarthritis,
         low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma where
         acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an
         acceptable alternative or be included in a
         comprehensive management program. Further research is
         likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture
         interventions will be useful.
                                                  --taken from:
                                                  http://odp.od.nih.gov/consensus/cons/107/107_intro.htm
   [PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

acupuncture
    n 1: treatment of pain or disease by inserting the tips of
         needles at specific points on the skin [syn: acupuncture,
         stylostixis]