epidural

IPA/ˌepɪˈdjʊərəl/
KK[ˌɛpədˈɚəl]IPA/ˌepɪˈdʊrəl/

epidural — adjective

  • epiduralpositive
  • more epiduralcomparative
  • most epiduralsuperlative

1. located in or relating to the narrow area just outside the tough covering of the

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

located in or relating to the narrow area just outside the tough covering of the spinal cord — this area is where anaesthetic drugs are injected to block pain in the lower body while the patient stays awake.

Example

The doctor pointed to the epidural space on the diagram of the spine.

anatomical collocation: epidural space

Haruki's surgery used an epidural injection so he would not feel anything below his waist.

Common collocations
  • epidural space
  • epidural injection
  • epidural anaesthesia
  • epidural needle
  • epidural block
  • epidural region
  • epidural catheter
Synonyms
  • peridural

    a less common synonym with the same medical meaning, describing the area around the dura mater

  • extradural

    a synonym used more often in British medical writing for the same anatomical region

Antonyms
  • intrathecal

    referring to the space inside the dura mater (within the spinal fluid), whereas epidural means outside it

Usage Note

Primarily used as a technical medical term to describe the anatomical space (epidural space) or the route of drug delivery (epidural injection). Frequently appears before nouns like 'space', 'injection', 'needle', 'anaesthesia', and 'block'.

Common Mistakes

The doctor gave her an epidural injection in her arm.
The doctor gave her an epidural injection in her lower back.
Epidural injections are always placed near the spine, not in the arm or other body parts.

epidural — noun

Word family

  • epidurally
    adverbC1
  • dura mater
    nounC1
  • extradural
    adjectiveC2
  • peridural
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

An epidural is a type of regional anaesthetic injected into the space just outside the spinal cord's outer membrane, numbing the lower body while the patient stays awake. A spinal block (or spinal anaesthetic) is injected directly into the spinal fluid and works within minutes but lasts a shorter time — it is often used for caesarean sections. Local anaesthetic is a broader term for any drug that numbs a small, specific area (such as a dentist's injection) without affecting consciousness. General anaesthetic is completely different: it puts the whole body to sleep and affects the brain, so the patient is unconscious. For example: 'The mother received an epidural during labour and could still push.' 'For the C-section, the surgeon recommended a spinal block.' 'The dentist used a local anaesthetic to numb just the tooth.'

epidural ↗spinal blocklocal anaestheticgeneral anaesthetic

Common collocations

Nouns

  • epidural injection
  • epidural anaesthesia
  • epidural needle
  • epidural catheter
  • epidural space

Phrases

  • have an epidural
  • give an epidural
  • ask for an epidural
  • an epidural during childbirth
  • an epidural for surgery

Prepositions

  • in the epidural space
  • into the epidural
  • with an epidural

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

Epidural was formed in the late 1800s from the prefix 'epi-' (meaning 'upon' or 'outside', from Greek) and 'dura' (short for 'dura mater', from Latin 'hard mother' — the name for the tough outer membrane covering the brain and spinal cord). Doctors needed a word for the anatomical space outside the dura mater where they could inject pain-relieving drugs. The noun use (meaning the injection itself) followed later as the procedure became common in the 20th century.