Anesthetics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances that lead to a reduction in sensation, particularly pain, during medical treatments
2. Agents designed to create a state of insensitivity to stimuli, especially in surgical contexts
3. Compounds used to prevent pain and sensation during medical procedures

Etymology: Before anyone could operate without causing agony, the word "anesthetic" had to be built from Greek parts meaning "without feeling." The first part, "an-," is the Greek prefix meaning "un-" or "not," the same prefix seen in "anarchy." The second part comes from "aisthesis," the Greek word for perception or sensation, which is also the source of "aesthetic." The combined Greek adjective "anaisthetos" meant "insensible," and English writers borrowed that sense through a Latinized form. The word is therefore a Greek idea wrapped in a Latin-style spelling. Its plural, "anesthetics," simply names more than one of the drugs that produce this state of insensibility. Its root "aisthesis" also gave English the word "aesthetic," so the two words are closer relatives than their modern meanings suggest: one concerns the senses dulled to nothing, the other the senses sharpened by beauty.

Synonyms: analgesics, sedatives

Antonyms: stimulants