anesthetic
adjective
an·es·thet·ic
| \ ˌa-nəs-ˈthe-tik
\
\
Definition of anesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: of, relating to, or capable of producing anesthesia
2
: lacking awareness or sensitivity
was anesthetic to their feelings
anesthetic
nounDefinition of anesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a substance that produces anesthesia
2
: something that brings relief : palliative
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Other Words from anesthetic
Adjective
anesthetically
\ -ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of anesthetic in a Sentence
Noun
The doctor gave him the stitches without an anesthetic. the dentist waited until the anesthetic took effectRecent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Game and Fish said the anesthetic drug used has a 14-day minimum withdrawal period. — Mike Mcfeely, Twin Cities, "N.D. wildlife officials opposed drugging UND moose, citing consumption risk to hunters," 6 Sep. 2019 Ketamine is an anesthetic drug that can also be used for pain relief. — Chevall Pryce, Houston Chronicle, "Spring Center of Hope discusses possible effects of ketamine on mood," 22 July 2019 The bugs then pierce their prey with a dagger-like proboscis, injecting enzymes and possibly anesthetic chemicals. — National Geographic, "Giant water bugs eat turtles, ducklings, and even snakes," 3 Apr. 2019 Just like humans, plants can succumb to the effects of general anesthetic drugs, researchers report this week in the Annals of Botany. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "We can make plants pass out—with the same drugs that mysteriously knock us out," 12 Dec. 2017 Earlier this year, Florida amended its lethal-injection protocol to include etomidate, an anesthetic agent that has never been used in executions, after exhausting its supply of the sedative midazolam. — Joe Palazzolo, WSJ, "Johnson & Johnson Wades Into Death Penalty Debate For First Time," 22 Aug. 2017 According to Italian investigators, when the woman (who has not been named to protect her privacy) arrived at an apartment for the shoot, Lukasz Pawel Herba and another man injected her with ketamine, an anesthetic drug used to sedate horses. — Amanda Erickson, Washington Post, "This man is accused of kidnapping a 20-year-old British model and then trying to sell her on the Internet," 5 Aug. 2017 The Red Cross team delivered surgical items, intravenous fluids and anesthetic supplies to help treat hundreds of wounded, Mr. Grand said. — Reuters, New York Times, "Medical Supplies Reach War-Torn City in Yemen," 13 Feb. 2016 His doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of manslaughter after Jackson overdosed on the anesthetic drug propofol. — Tony Hicks, The Mercury News, "Paris Jackson says Michael Jackson was murdered and she was raped at age 14," 24 Jan. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
To address that problem, Alexander said, doctors can use multiple pain medications, including injections of a local anesthetic to numb the surgery site. — Naomi Martin, BostonGlobe.com, "No eating, no drinking, and now, no marijuana before surgery, doctors say," 21 Aug. 2019 Trials could start before the end of 2020, Musk said, likening the procedure to Lasik eye correction surgery, which requires local anesthetic. — Michael Scaturro, CNN, "Elon Musk is making implants to link the brain with a smartphone," 17 July 2019 There a group of men repeatedly raped women at night after drugging them with a veterinarian’s anesthetic. — Sarah Jones, The New Republic, "Miriam Toews’s Quiet Revolution," 26 June 2019 The procedure, which now is typically performed with local anesthetic, is commonly used within the first five to 12 weeks of pregnancy. — Danielle Garrand, CBS News, "Over 50 years ago this woman had an illegal abortion. Now, she's telling her story.," 17 June 2019 Synan noted that Cincinnati is coming up on a grim anniversary: a week when fentanyl and other synthetic opiates, including the elephant anesthetic Carfentanil, caused 174 overdoses in Hamilton County, including three deaths. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "Fentanyl as Ohio's lethal-injection drug? Wait til you hear what opioid crisis watchers say," 1 Apr. 2019 The agents included medicines, metals, pesticides, anesthetics, asphalt, brake fluid, plastics and polymers, radiation, cleaners/disinfectants and solvents such as paints, degreasers and other chemicals. — chicagotribune.com, "Women’s exposure to solvents at work tied to autism in children," 2 July 2019 She was taken to hospital in excruciating pain and doctors had to remove the pin through her mouth under general anesthetic. — Fox News, "Girl, 10, gets safety pin stuck up nose," 24 Sep. 2018 Fans also plan to gather at Jackson’s last home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the singer received a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol on the afternoon of June 25, 2009 from his doctor. — Andrew Dalton, chicagotribune.com, "Tributes to Michael Jackson flow on the 10th anniversary of his death," 25 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anesthetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for anesthetic
anesthetic
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of anesthetic
medical
: a drug that causes a person to lose feeling and to feel no pain in part or all of the body
See the full definition for anesthetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
anesthetic
adjective
an·es·thet·ic
| \ ˌa-nəs-ˈthe-tik
\
\
Kids Definition of anesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
: of, relating to, or capable of producing loss of feeling in all or part of the body
an anesthetic cream
anesthetic
nounKids Definition of anesthetic (Entry 2 of 2)
: something that produces loss of feeling in all or part of the body
anesthetic
adjective
an·es·thet·ic
variants:
or chiefly British anaesthetic \ ˌan-əs-ˈthet-ik
\
\
Medical Definition of anesthetic
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: capable of producing anesthesia
anesthetic agents
2
: of, relating to, or caused by anesthesia
an anesthetic effect anesthetic symptoms