anesthesia
anesthesia — noun
1. the way people in the United States write the word that British English spells a
the way people in the United States write the word that British English spells as 'anaesthesia'
My laptop's spell-check flagged 'anaesthesia', so I changed it to 'anesthesia'.
American vs British spelling distinction
The author replaced every 'anaesthesia' with 'anesthesia' before submitting to the US journal.
Students in Taiwan learn the British spelling 'anaesthesia', though US textbooks use 'anesthesia'.
Anesthesia is standard in North America, while anaesthesia is used in the UK and Australia.
用法筆記
Only covers the US versus British spelling difference. For the medical meanings, see senses 2 and 3 below.
常見錯誤
2. a medical condition in which a person cannot feel pain or other physical sensati
a medical condition in which a person cannot feel pain or other physical sensations in all or part of the body, either because a doctor or nurse has given them a drug for a procedure such as an operation, or because of a disease or injury
The patient was under general anesthesia while the surgical team repaired her damaged knee.
collocation: under anesthesia
Local anesthesia numbed only Wei's left foot, so he could still move his right toes.
contrast: local vs general anesthesia
Nerve damage from the accident caused anesthesia in the driver's legs.
The night-shift nurse monitored the woman's breathing carefully while she was recovering from the anesthesia.
The anesthesiologist told the patient the anesthesia would keep her comfortable and free from pain.
用法筆記
Typically uncountable. The most common collocations are 'under anesthesia' (during the period of induced numbness) and 'general/local/regional anesthesia' to specify the type. Frequently appears with the verbs 'administer', 'undergo', and 'recover from'.
常見錯誤
3. a substance, given by a doctor or a nurse, that stops a person from feeling pain
a substance, given by a doctor or a nurse, that stops a person from feeling pain during a medical procedure such as a surgery or a visit to the dentist
The nurse prepared a bottle of liquid anesthesia and connected it to the drip.
anesthesia as a physical substance (prepared, administered)
Dr. Okonkwo waited until the anesthesia took full effect before making the first cut.
verb pattern: anesthesia + take effect
Modern dental anesthesias are safer than the early versions used a hundred years ago.
The veterinary clinic uses a special animal anesthesia that wears off within an hour.
- anesthetic
the more standard term for the drug itself; 'anesthesia' in sense 3 is an informal or non-technical extension
- painkiller
general term for any drug that relieves pain; broader than anesthesia, which causes temporary loss of all sensation, not just pain
- numbing agent
descriptive everyday term; less technical than 'anesthetic'
用法筆記
When used as a countable noun ('several different anesthesias were tested'), it refers to specific types or formulations of anesthetic agents. The more common word for the substance itself is 'anesthetic', but 'anesthesia' is also used in this sense, especially in spoken medical contexts.