Novocain

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A local anesthetic agent used to numb tissue in a specific area to prevent pain during medical procedures ; a chemical compound derived from procaine that temporarily blocks nerve signals to reduce sensation ; a medication commonly employed in dentistry and minor surgeries to induce localized loss of feeling and discomfort
2. A synthetic substance applied to body parts to dull pain by inhibiting nerve transmission ; a pharmaceutical used to cause reversible numbness in targeted zones during medical or dental treatments ; a type of analgesic that temporarily prevents patients from perceiving pain at the site of its application
3. An anesthetic drug that acts locally to stop pain from reaching the brain during medical interventions ; a man-made chemical used predominantly by dentists to create numbness in oral tissues ; a medication that provides short-term loss of sensation by blocking nerve impulses where applied

Etymology: Novocain is a dated spelling of novocaine, a name built from two parts. The first, "novo", comes from Latin "novus", meaning "new", and the second, "-caine", echoes "cocaine", the drug whose numbing effect the new compound was designed to match. The result is a brand-style coinage that announces a fresh substitute for an older anesthetic. The "-caine" ending became a pattern for local anesthetics, which is why many numbing drugs in English share it. Its spread is the most lasting part of the word's story: the suffix outlived the original name in ordinary speech, and "novocaine" is now mostly remembered as the generic term for this kind of dental and surgical numbing agent.

Synonyms: novocaine, local anesthetic, lidocaine, anesthetic, painkiller