Etherizing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The technique of administering ether to induce unconsciousness or insensitivity in a person involves a combination of medical skill and chemical application
2. This method refers to the use of ether for the purpose of achieving a temporary absence of sensation or awareness in individuals undergoing surgical procedures
3. The process of applying ether vapors to induce a loss of consciousness or sensation for medical treatment

Etymology: "Etherizing" is the present participle of "etherize," which is formed from "ether" and the suffix "-ize," meaning "to treat with or subject to." The sense here is literal: to etherize someone is to put them under the influence of ether, the volatile liquid whose anaesthetic properties were demonstrated in 1846 and transformed surgery within a few years. The verb took its shape from the same process as its French counterpart, "éthériser," so the two languages arrived at the word by parallel routes. The noun "ether" itself has a long and complicated past. It comes from Latin "aether," borrowed from Greek "aithēr," which in ancient cosmology meant the pure, bright upper air that the gods breathed, distinct from the lower atmosphere. Early chemists then applied the name to a sweet-smelling liquid made by distilling alcohol with acid, and the modern anaesthetic inherited that label.

Synonyms: anesthetizing, sedating, numbing