‘针灸’ (zhēn jiǔ) is a compound noun referring to the traditional Chinese medical practice that combines acupuncture (inserting fine needles into specific points on the body) and moxibustion (burning dried mugwort near or on the skin to warm and stimulate those same points). The first character, 针 (zhēn), means 'needle', while the second, 灸 (jiǔ), means 'to cauterize' or 'to apply heat therapy'. Together, they represent an integrated therapeutic system rooted in qi theory and meridian pathways.

This term is used broadly in clinical, academic, and cultural contexts — for example, when discussing treatment options, studying traditional medicine, or describing holistic health approaches. It’s often treated as a single concept, even though it encompasses two distinct techniques. In modern usage, ‘针灸’ may refer to either the combined practice or, informally, just acupuncture — though strictly speaking, the latter is only part of the whole.