The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Actual \Ac"tu*al\ (#; 135), a. [OE. actuel, F. actuel, L.
   actualis, fr. agere to do, act.]
   1. Involving or comprising action; active. [Obs.]
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            Her walking and other actual performances. --Shak.
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            Let your holy and pious intention be actual; that is
            . . . by a special prayer or action, . . . given to
            God.                                  --Jer. Taylor.
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   2. Existing in act or reality; really acted or acting; in
      fact; real; -- opposed to potential, possible,
      virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, or
      nominal; as, the actual cost of goods; the actual case
      under discussion.
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   3. In action at the time being; now exiting; present; as the
      actual situation of the country.
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   Actual cautery. See under Cautery.

   Actual sin (Theol.), that kind of sin which is done by
      ourselves in contradistinction to "original sin."
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   Syn: Real; genuine; positive; certain. See Real.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cautery \Cau"ter*y\, n.; pl. Cauteries. [L. cauterium, Gr. ?.
   See Cauter.]
   1. (Med.) A burning or searing, as of morbid flesh, with a
      hot iron, or by application of a caustic that will burn,
      corrode, or destroy animal tissue.
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   2. The iron of other agent in cauterizing.
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   Actual cautery, a substance or agent (as a hot iron) which
      cauterizes or sears by actual heat; or the burning so
      effected.

   Potential cautery, a substance which cauterizes by chemical
      action; as, lunar caustic; also, the cauterizing produced
      by such substance.
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