anesthetic

IPA/ˌænəsˈθetɪk/
KK[ˌænəsθˈɛtɪk]IPA/ˌænəsˈθetɪk/

anesthetic — noun

  • anestheticsingular
  • anestheticsplural

1. The American English spelling of 'anaesthetic' (a substance that stops pain).

1.nounB2
Definition

The American English spelling of 'anaesthetic' (a substance that stops pain).

Example

The doctor wrote 'anesthetic' on the chart because the hospital uses American spelling.

Mei-Lin noticed that her British textbook used 'anaesthetic' while the American journal used 'anesthetic'.

distinguishing US vs British spelling

Grammar Patterns

(the) anesthetic

an anesthetic

Usage Note

In American English, this is the standard spelling. In Taiwan, educational materials typically follow American spelling conventions, so 'anesthetic' is the form you will see most often.

Common Mistakes

The British doctor used anesthetic spelling.
The British doctor used the spelling anaesthetic.
'anaesthetic' (with 'ae') is the British variant, not a mistake.

2. A drug or substance given to a person before a medical operation or procedure so

2.nounB2
Definition

A drug or substance given to a person before a medical operation or procedure so that they do not feel pain while the doctor or dentist works on them.

Example

The nurse prepared a local anesthetic before the dentist began working on Priya's tooth.

local anesthetic for a specific body part

Dr. Okonkwo explained that the general anesthetic would make the surgery completely painless.

general anesthetic puts the patient to sleep

Common collocations
  • local anesthetic
  • general anesthetic
  • administer an anesthetic
  • under anesthetic
  • anesthetic wears off
  • put someone under anesthetic
Synonyms
  • painkiller

    everyday word for mild pain relief, does not block all sensation

  • numbing agent

    describes the effect rather than the medical substance

  • analgesic

    medical term for pain relief without necessarily causing numbness

Grammar Patterns

local anesthetic

general anesthetic

under anesthetic

administer an anesthetic

Usage Note

Frequently paired with 'local' (numbing one small area) or 'general' (putting the whole body to sleep). Patients are said to be 'under anesthetic' during a procedure.

Common Mistakes

The dentist gave me an anesthetic on my tooth.
The dentist gave me a local anesthetic for my tooth.
'local anesthetic' is the standard medical phrase for numbing a specific area.
I took an anesthetic for my headache.
I took a painkiller for my headache.
'anesthetic' is used for medical procedures, not for everyday pain like headaches. Use 'painkiller' instead.

anesthetic — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Painkiller is the most common everyday term for any medication that reduces pain, but it does not block all sensation or touch — you can still feel pressure under a painkiller. Anesthetic specifically refers to substances that block ALL sensation, not just pain, in a body part or the whole body. Analgesic is a medical term for drugs that relieve pain without necessarily causing numbness; for example, aspirin is an analgesic but not an anesthetic. Numbing agent describes the effect (loss of feeling) rather than a medical category. Sedative induces calm or sleep but does not block pain the way an anesthetic does. So you would say: 'The dentist used a local anesthetic to numb the tooth before drilling, but the patient only took a mild painkiller later that evening.'

painkiller ↗numbing agentanalgesic ↗sedative

Common collocations

Nouns

  • anesthetic injection
  • anesthetic dose
  • anesthetic effect
  • anesthetic procedure

Adverbs

Phrases

  • administer an anesthetic
  • under general anesthetic
  • under local anesthetic
  • put someone under anesthetic
  • the anesthetic wears off

Prepositions

  • under (anesthetic)
  • without (anesthetic)
  • with (anesthetic)

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word comes from Greek 'anaisthēsia', meaning 'lack of sensation' — formed from 'an-' (without) and 'aisthēsis' (feeling or sensation). The term was first used in English in the mid-1800s when doctors began using ether and chloroform during surgery. The suffix '-ic' turns the noun 'anesthesia' into an adjective describing things that cause this state.

First known use

1823

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Noun