Dictionary.com

anesthetic

or anĀ·aesĀ·thetĀ·ic

[ an-uhs-thet-ik ]
/ ˌæn əsĖˆĪøÉ›t ÉŖk /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: anesthetic / anesthetics on Thesaurus.com

noun
a substance that produces anesthesia, as halothane, procaine, or ether.
adjective
pertaining to or causing physical insensibility: an anesthetic gas.
physically insensitive: Halothane is used to produce an anesthetic state.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of anesthetic

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

OTHER WORDS FROM anesthetic

anĀ·esĀ·thetĀ·iĀ·calĀ·ly, adverbnonĀ·anĀ·esĀ·thetĀ·ic, adjective, nounpostĀ·anĀ·esĀ·thetĀ·ic, adjectivesemĀ·iĀ·anĀ·esĀ·thetĀ·ic, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use anesthetic in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for anesthetic

anesthetic
/ (ˌænÉŖsĖˆĪøÉ›tÉŖk) /

noun, adjective
the usual US spelling of anaesthetic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for anesthetic

anesthetic
[ ăn′ĭs-thĕt′ĭk ]

A drug that temporarily depresses neuronal function, producing total or partial loss of sensation with or without the loss of consciousness.
The American HeritageĀ® Science Dictionary Copyright Ā© 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 Ā© 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK