general anaesthetic

British

noun

a drug producing anaesthesia of the entire body, with loss of consciousness

"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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The next day, Olivia had to have a procedure under general anaesthetic.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026

Carried out under general anaesthetic, the procedure involves opening the skull and removing a small section of bone to relieve pressure on the nerve which is causing the pain.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Teams carry general anaesthetic and can even do open heart surgery, but ensuring the patient is taken to the most appropriate hospital is another vital part.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2025

Hector was rushed to hospital where the blisters were popped before his wounds were cleaned under general anaesthetic to prevent infection.

From BBC • Aug. 30, 2024

Although the operation is not a very painful one, it ought not to be performed upon a child except under the influence of chloroform or some other general anaesthetic.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023