anesthetic

or an·aes·thet·ic

[ an-uhs-thet-ik ]
See synonyms for anesthetic on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a substance that produces anesthesia, as halothane, procaine, or ether.

adjective
  1. pertaining to or causing physical insensibility: an anesthetic gas.

  2. physically insensitive: Halothane is used to produce an anesthetic state.

Origin of anesthetic

1
1840–50, Americanism;<Greek anaísthēt(os) without feeling, senseless + -ic; see an-1, aesthetic

Other words from anesthetic

  • an·es·thet·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·an·es·thet·ic, adjective, noun
  • post·an·es·thet·ic, adjective
  • sem·i·an·es·thet·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for anesthetic

anesthetic

/ (ˌænɪsˈθɛtɪk) /


noun, adjective
  1. the usual US spelling of anaesthetic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for anesthetic

anesthetic

[ ăn′ĭs-thĕtĭk ]


  1. A drug that temporarily depresses neuronal function, producing total or partial loss of sensation with or without the loss of consciousness.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for anesthetic

anesthetic

[ (an-is-thet-ik) ]


A substance that causes loss of sensation or consciousness. With the aid of an anesthetic, people can undergo surgery without pain. (See general anesthetic and local anesthetic.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.