anesthesia

American  

[an-uhs-thee-zhuh] / ˌæn əsˈθi ʒə /

Or anaesthesia

noun

1. Medicine/Medical. general or local insensibility, as to pain and other sensation, induced by certain interventions or drugs to permit the performance of surgery or other painful procedures.

2. Pathology. general loss of the senses of feeling, as pain, heat, cold, touch, and other less common varieties of sensation.

3. Psychiatry. absence of sensation due to psychological processes, as in conversion disorders.

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anesthesia British  

/ ˌænɪsˈθiːzɪə /

noun

1. the usual US spelling of anaesthesia

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anesthesia Scientific  

/ ăn′ĭs-thē′zhə /

1. Total or partial loss of sensation to touch or pain, caused by nerve injury or disease, or induced intentionally, especially by the administration of anesthetic drugs, to provide medical treatment. The first public use of ether to anesthetize a patient in Boston in 1846 initiated widespread acceptance of anesthetics in the Western world for surgical procedures and obstetrics. General anesthesia, administered as inhalation or intravenous agents, acts primarily on the brain, resulting in a temporary loss of consciousness. Regional or local anesthesia affects sensation in a specific anatomic area, and includes topical application of local anesthetics, blocking of peripheral nerves, spinal anesthesia, and epidural anesthesia, which is used commonly during childbirth.

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anesthesia Cultural  

1. Loss of sensation or consciousness. Anesthesia can be induced by an anesthetic, by acupuncture, or as the result of injury or disease.

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Etymology

Origin of anesthesia

1715–25; < New Latin < Greek anaisthēsía want of feeling. See an- ¹, esthesia

Compare meaning

How does anesthesia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• anesthesia vs. anesthetic

Example Sentences

“We were very prepared to handle any lung problems the baby might have. But he came out of anesthesia pretty quickly and he was feisty,” Dayanim said.

From Los Angeles Times

She had an abortion without anesthesia and returned to her teaching job right away to make ends meet.

From Salon

On Jan. 26, Lisa went under anesthesia for the retrieval procedure, her third in five years.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its nursing school’s website speaks of health equity, too, and advocates “anesthesia practices that promote social justice and equity.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Although his son had reservations, he wasn’t concerned about anesthesia or procedures.

From Los Angeles Times