anesthetic

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also an·aes·thet·ic (ăn'ĭs-thĕt'ĭk) pronunciation
adj.
  1. Relating to or resembling anesthesia.
  2. Causing anesthesia.
  3. Insensitive.
n.
  1. An agent that causes loss of sensation with or without the loss of consciousness.
  2. Something likened to this in effect: For some people watching television is an anesthetic for the mind.

[From Greek anaisthētos, without feeling : an-, without; see a-1 + aisthētos, perceptible (from aisthanesthai, to feel; see anesthesia).]

anesthetically an'es·thet'i·cal·ly adv.


is spelt -ae- in British English and -e- in American English.

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Agent that produces a local or general loss of sensation, including pain, and therefore is useful in surgery and dentistry. General anesthesia induces loss of consciousness, most often using hydrocarbons (e.g., cyclopropane, ethylene); halogenated ( halogen) hydrocarbons (e.g., chloroform, ethyl chloride, trichloroethylene); ethers (e.g., ethyl ether or vinyl ether); or other compounds, such as tribromoethanol, nitrous oxide, or barbiturates. Local anesthesia induces loss of sensation in one area of the body by blocking nerve conduction ( nervous system, neuron), usually with alkaloids such as cocaine or synthetic substitutes (e.g., lidocaine). anesthesiology.

For more information on anesthetic, visit Britannica.com.

(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.)

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To dream of being anaesthetized may represent the residue of a memory (e.g., from a medical operation). It could also reflect a desire to be relieved of some painful experience-physical, mental, or emotional.


1. pertaining to, characterized by, or producing anesthesia.
2. a drug or agent used to abolish the sensation of pain, to achieve adequate muscle relaxation during surgery, to calm fear and allay anxiety. See also anesthesia.

  • dissociative a. — an anesthetic causing interruption of cerebral association pathways between the limbic system and cortical system. It produces a catalepsy-like state, in which the patient feels dissociated from its environment, and marked analgesia. Ketamine, phencyclidine and tiletamine hydrochloride are examples.
  • gaseous a. — inhalation anesthesia. Halothane and isoflurane are commonly used agents.
  • general a. — see general anesthesia.
  • a.-induced rhabdomyolysis — see porcine stress syndrome.
  • inhalation a. — gas or volatile liquid that produces general anesthesia when inhaled. The older agents, ether and cyclopropane, have been replaced by halothane, enflurane and isoflurane.
  • injectable a. — sedative-hypnotic drugs produce anesthesia when administered in large doses. It can be administered intraperitoneally, but intravenous injection is much the most common route. Short-acting drugs, such as thiopentone, are used alone for very rapid procedures or for instrument examinations, or as induction for a longer term inhalation anesthetic. See also barbiturate. One anesthetic agent that is administered intramuscularly is ketamine.
  • irreversible a. — the injection of a substance that destroys the peripheral nerve, e.g. ethyl or propyl alcohol.
  • local a. — a drug that blocks nerve transmission in the nerves affected by the local presence of the drug. It may be applied topically, e.g. into the conjunctival sac, or by injection into tissues near the target nerve. Most local anesthetics are in the -caine series.
  • a. machine — apparatus or equipment used to administer gaseous anesthetic agents; functions of the apparatus should include,
  • — 1. delivery of oxygen, — 2. removal of carbon dioxide, — 3. quantifiable delivery of anesthetic vapor or gas, and — 4. capability of providing artificial respiration to the patient.
  • a. scavenging — the use of any device to reduce the pollution of the air in surgeries caused by exhaled anesthetic gases. May be canisters of filtering material attached to the machine or suction lines at stragetic positions in the theater.
  • volatile a. — see inhalation anesthetic (above).
(an′esthet′ik)
n

A drug that produces loss of feeling or sensation generally or locally.

Random House Word Menu:

categories related to 'anesthetic'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to anesthetic, see:
  • PHARMACOLOGY - anesthetic: agent that diminishes or abolishes sensation and can produce unconsciousness


  See crossword solutions for the clue Anaesthetic.
Translations:

Anaesthetic

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - anæstetikum, bedøvelsesmiddel
adj. - anæstetisk, bedøvelses-

Nederlands (Dutch)
verdoving/narcose, verdovend

Français (French)
n. - anesthésie, anesthésique
adj. - anesthésique

Deutsch (German)
n. - Betäubungsmittel
adj. - betäubt

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (ιατρ.) αναισθητικό φάρμακο

Italiano (Italian)
anestetico, anestesia

idioms:

  • general anaesthetic    anestesia generale, anestesia totale, narcosi
  • local anaesthetic    anestesia locale

Português (Portuguese)
n. - anestésico (m) (Med.)

idioms:

  • general anaesthetic    anestésico (m) geral
  • local anaesthetic    anestésico (m) local

Русский (Russian)
анестезирующее вещество

idioms:

  • general anaesthetic    общая анестезия
  • local anaesthetic    местная анестезия

Español (Spanish)
n. - narcosis
adj. - anestético , anestésico

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - bedövningsmedel, bedövning

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
麻药, 麻醉剂, 麻醉的

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 麻藥, 麻醉劑
adj. - 麻醉的

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 마취제
adj. - 마취[마비]의

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 麻酔を引き起こす, 麻酔の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مخدر, عقار مخدر أو مسكن‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮סם הרדמה, מאלחש‬
adj. - ‮מרדים, מאלחש‬


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