anaesthetic
anaesthetic — noun
- anaestheticsingular
- anaestheticsplural
1. A drug or gas given to a patient during a medical or dental procedure to prevent
A drug or gas given to a patient during a medical or dental procedure to prevent them from feeling pain, either in a small, specific area or across the whole body.
Dr. Okafor gave Ryo a local anaesthetic before stitching the deep cut on his forearm.
collocation: local anaesthetic for a specific body area
The dentist applied a mild anaesthetic to Dewi's gum so the filling would not cause any pain.
collocation: apply + anaesthetic; mild anaesthetic for minor procedures
Before the operation, the anaesthetist explained to Diya how the general anaesthetic would make her fall asleep.
Kian had to stay in the recovery room until the anaesthetic wore off after his knee surgery.
Some patients prefer to have dental treatment without any anaesthetic at all.
- painkiller
Much broader term; painkillers relieve existing pain, while anaesthetics prevent pain during procedures
- analgesic
More formal medical term for pain-relieving medication; can overlap but analgesics don't always cause complete numbness
- sedative
Different purpose — calms or relaxes a patient rather than numbing pain; sometimes used together with anaesthetics
文法句型
under + anaesthetic
administer/give/apply + anaesthetic
local/general + anaesthetic
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific type or instance ('a local anaesthetic', 'different anaesthetics'); uncountable when referring to the substance in general ('under anaesthetic', 'without anaesthetic'). The word is predominantly used in medical and dental contexts. American English spells it 'anesthetic'.