an·es·the·sia
| \ ˌa-nəs-ˈthē-zhə
\
\
Definition of anesthesia
1
: loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness
The patient was given intravenous medication to induce anesthesia. … doctors freeze the tumor with little coils filled with liquid nitrogen that are inserted in the prostate under anesthesia.— Andy Grove Awareness during anesthesia is a serious complication with potential long-term psychological consequences.— Michael S. Avidan et al. We often radiograph dogs when they are under anesthesia for spaying or neutering or other routine procedures.— Bonnie Wilcox
— see also general anesthesia, local anesthesia
2
: an agent that produces anesthesia : anesthetic
A capnometer measures the amount of carbon dioxide in exhaled air, thereby insuring that the tubes bringing oxygen and anesthesia to the patient are properly placed.— Lisa Belkin She was still groggy from her anesthesia, and she had an I.V. tube in her arm. — The New Yorker These substances [=endorphins], which have been identified in recent years through research on brain chemistry, act as a natural anesthesia that can lessen extreme pain.— Norman Cousins
Examples of anesthesia in a Sentence
The patient was given an injection to induce anesthesia.
Recent Examples on the Web
My younger patients are most frequently looking for more pouty, fuller lips, which can be achieved with a stand-alone lip lift procedure done under local anesthesia in about an hour.
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Beth Landman, Forbes, 14 Nov. 2021
Surgery for axillary hyperhidrosis—sweating in the armpits—requires local anesthesia and can be done in an office setting rather than a hospital.
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Cathy Cassata, Health.com, 12 Nov. 2021
Removal of buccal fat is a straightforward procedure that can be performed in less than 30 minutes under local anesthesia or using sedation.
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Emily Strohm, PEOPLE.com, 5 Oct. 2021
Stage 0 and Stage 1 melanoma excision surgeries are often done under local anesthesia, and later stage melanomas may require general anesthesia depending on how deep the melanoma tumor is.
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Seraphina Seow, Health.com, 23 June 2021
The dentist knocks her out to perform surgery and pull them out … but an under-anesthesia Lexis straight-up bites that woman’s finger off.
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Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 20 June 2021
The bill also expands access to dental care by permitting dental hygienists to administer local anesthesia, something that is already allowed in 44 other states.
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Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 15 June 2021
The anesthesia had barely worn off from his season-ending right foot surgery on Jan. 12, 2016 when Joe received a call from Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin.
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Mike Mazzeo, Forbes, 28 May 2021
Can anything else interfere with local anesthesia before dental work?
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Claire Gillespie, Health.com, 5 May 2021
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anesthesia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Cite this Entry
“Anesthesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anesthesia. Accessed 26 Jan. 2022.
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More Definitions for anesthesia
anesthesia
noun
English Language Learners Definition of anesthesia
: loss of feeling in a person's body or part of the body through the use of drugs
See the full definition for anesthesia in the English Language Learners Dictionary
anesthesia
noun
an·es·the·sia
| \ ˌa-nəs-ˈthē-zhə
\
\
Kids Definition of anesthesia
: loss of feeling in all or part of the body with or without loss of consciousness
The patient was given an injection before surgery to produce anesthesia.
anesthesia
noun
an·es·the·sia
variants:
or chiefly British anaesthesia \
ˌan-əs-ˈthē-zhə
\
\
Medical Definition of anesthesia
1
: loss of sensation with or without loss of consciousness that is artificially produced by the administration of one or more agents that block the passage of pain impulses along nerve pathways to the brain
… doctors freeze the tumor with little coils filled with liquid nitrogen that are inserted in the prostate under anesthesia.— Andy Grove Awareness during anesthesia is a serious complication with potential long-term psychological consequences.— Michael S. Avidan et al.
— see general anesthesia, local anesthesia
2
: loss of sensation especially to touch usually resulting from injury or disease
3
: an agent that produces anesthesia : anesthetic
During surgery, you will be given some form of anesthesia, which are medicines given to relieve pain and sensation during surgery. — HopkinsMedicine.org A capnometer measures the amount of carbon dioxide in exhaled air, thereby insuring that the tubes bringing oxygen and anesthesia to the patient are properly placed.— Lisa Belkin
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Time Traveler for anesthesia
The first known use of anesthesia was circa 1721
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