anesthesia

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 Although breast augmentations are a common procedure, with more than 300,000 performed in 2018 in the United States, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there are risks, including complications due to anesthesia. — Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY, "Colorado teen suffers brain damage after breast augmentation surgery goes wrong, lawsuit says," 23 Dec. 2019 The castration of young piglets without anesthesia was long considered exempt — but that exemption was withdrawn in 2013. — Washington Post, "Germany’s male piglets just became the latest animals to file cases in court — without their knowledge," 19 Nov. 2019 Conversely, shutting down the brain during anesthesia eliminates these experiences. — Christof Koch, Scientific American, "Will Machines Ever Become Conscious?," 1 Dec. 2019 The cost of anesthesia is typically not covered by insurance. — Gigi Engle, Glamour, "The Trauma of My Cervical Biopsy," 10 Sep. 2019 And while her decision to sedate Roscoe is widely accepted by vets, the intern did not have the Ackleys sign an informed consent form, which would have gone over the risks of anesthesia and allowed the Ackleys to discuss other treatment options. — oregonlive.com, "A Portland family took their dog to DoveLewis; the family says it’s the hospital’s fault he died," 19 June 2019 The sea lion is given an overdose of anesthesia and then shot in the head with a bolt gun—the two forms of euthanasia dictated by an animal care committee composed of veterinarians and biologists. — Sallie Tisdale, Harper's magazine, "Catechism of the Waters," 10 June 2019 At the beginning of the operation, Schardt was put under anesthesia so doctors could cut into her skull. — Mahita Gajanan, Time, "Doctors Livestream Brain Surgery on Conscious, Talking Woman," 30 Oct. 2019 The treatment is less invasive than electroconvulsive therapy, which works by inducing seizures in patients under anesthesia. — CBS News, ""I have so much hope": How deep transcranial magnetic stimulation changed one woman's life," 23 Oct. 2019

These 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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Last Updated

17 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Anesthesia.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anesthesia. Accessed 21 January 2020.

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More Definitions for anesthesia

anesthesia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of anesthesia

medical : 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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