anaesthesia

[an-uhs-thee-zhuh]

noun

Medicine/Medical, Pathology.

1. anesthesia.

anaesthesia

/ ˌænɪsˈθiːzɪə /

noun

1. local or general loss of bodily sensation, esp of touch, as the result of nerve damage or other abnormality

2. loss of sensation, esp of pain, induced by drugs: called general anaesthesia when consciousness is lost and local anaesthesia when only a specific area of the body is involved

3. a general dullness or lack of feeling

Other Word Forms

• anaesthetic adjective
• anaesthetist noun
• semianaesthetic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of anaesthesia¹

C19: from New Latin, from Greek anaisthēsia absence of sensation, from _an- + aisthēsis feeling

Example Sentences

She said they were carrying out operations on severely wounded patients with "minimal to hardly no anaesthesia".

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They added that the 22-year-old man extracted teeth, performed complex root canals and applied anaesthesia, drawing on information he had obtained online.

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Devices to stabilise broken bones have run out, while anaesthesia, antibiotics and fluids for wounded patients are dwindling.

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Rami endured several surgical procedures without painkillers, anaesthesia or antibiotics, his mother told the BBC.

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The crime sent shockwaves through the system, prompting one insurance company to reverse a controversial plan to limit anaesthesia coverage, and hit the share prices of major firms.

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