anesthesia

IPA/ˌæn.əsˈθiː.zi.ə/
KK[ˌænɪsθˈiʒə]IPA/ˌæn.əsˈθiː.zi.ə/

anesthesia — 名詞

1. the way people in the United States write the word that British English spells a

1.名詞B2
釋義

美式拼法

anaesthesia 的美式寫法

the way people in the United States write the word that British English spells as 'anaesthesia'

例句

My laptop's spell-check flagged 'anaesthesia', so I changed it to 'anesthesia'.

我筆電的拼字檢查標記了 anaesthesia，所以我改成美式拼法 anesthesia。

American vs British spelling distinction

The author replaced every 'anaesthesia' with 'anesthesia' before submitting to the US journal.

作者在投稿美國期刊前，把每一處 anaesthesia 都改成 anesthesia。

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

❌The British doctor wrote anesthesia in the report.
✅The British doctor wrote anaesthesia in the report.
💡British English uses the 'ae' diphthong; American English drops it to a single 'e'.

2. a medical condition in which a person cannot feel pain or other physical sensati

2.名詞B2
釋義

麻醉

身體失去知覺的狀態

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

例句

The patient was under general anesthesia while the surgical team repaired her damaged knee.

那位病人在全身麻醉的狀態下度過了三小時，同時外科團隊修復她受損的膝蓋。

collocation: under anesthesia

Local anesthesia numbed only Wei's left foot, so he could still move his right toes.

局部麻醉只麻痺了 Wei 的左腳，所以他還可以動右腳腳趾。

contrast: local vs general anesthesia

同義詞
  • numbness

    everyday, non-technical term for loss of sensation; can be caused by cold, pressure, or minor injury, not just medical procedures

  • analgesia

    specifically inability to feel pain while other sensations (touch, pressure) may remain; a more precise medical term

反義詞
  • sensation

    the ability to feel physical stimuli such as touch, pain, or temperature

  • feeling

    everyday opposite of anesthesia; normal sensory awareness

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

❌I stayed awake during my surgery because of general anesthesia.
✅I stayed awake during my surgery because of local anesthesia.
💡General anesthesia makes you completely unconscious; local anesthesia numbs only one area while you remain awake.

3. a substance, given by a doctor or a nurse, that stops a person from feeling pain

3.名詞C1
釋義

麻醉劑

使人失去知覺的藥物

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

例句

The nurse prepared a bottle of liquid anesthesia and connected it to the drip.

護士準備了一瓶液體麻醉劑，並將它接上點滴管。

anesthesia as a physical substance (prepared, administered)

Dr. Okonkwo waited until the anesthesia took full effect before making the first cut.

Okonkwo 醫師等到麻醉劑完全生效後，才下了第一刀。

verb pattern: anesthesia + take effect

同義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌The patient asked for more anesthesia because the first injection did not work.
✅The patient asked for more anesthetic because the first injection had not fully numbed the area.
💡While native speakers do use 'anesthesia' for the drug informally, the precise technical term for the agent is 'anesthetic'.