laughing gas

IPA/ˈlɑːfɪŋ ɡæs/
IPA/ˈlæfɪŋ ɡæs/

laughing gas — noun

1. A colourless gas (nitrous oxide, N₂O) breathed in to reduce pain during medical

1.名詞B2
釋義

A colourless gas (nitrous oxide, N₂O) breathed in to reduce pain during medical or dental treatment, and also used in the food industry as a propellant to force products such as whipped cream out of a can.

例句

The dentist gave Minho laughing gas before filling his cavity.

give + laughing gas + before [procedure]

Nkechi felt dizzy but relaxed after breathing in the laughing gas through a small mask.

breathing in laughing gas through a mask

同義詞
  • nitrous oxide

    the formal chemical name for the same substance; interchangeable with laughing gas in most contexts

  • dinitrogen monoxide

    rare; used only in very formal chemical writing

用法筆記

Frequently used in dentistry to reduce anxiety during treatment. In chemistry and food-industry contexts, the same substance (nitrous oxide) acts as a propellant in products such as whipped cream. The gas does not put patients fully to sleep — it reduces pain while they stay awake.

常見錯誤

The doctor gave me laughing gas to sleep.
The doctor gave me laughing gas to reduce pain during the procedure.
💡Laughing gas does not put you fully to sleep; it only reduces pain while you stay awake.
Laughing gas makes you laugh out loud.
Laughing gas makes people feel relaxed or slightly dizzy, not necessarily laugh.
💡The name comes from early demonstrations where people giggled, but most patients feel calm rather than actively laughing.