# anesthesia

/ˌænɪsˈθiʒə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/anesthesia
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. medical pain relief

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical · American English

a medical method of stopping pain during surgery by using special drugs.

For teachers: the administration of pharmacological agents to induce a reversible loss of sensation, allowing for surgical procedures without patient distress.

- The dentist gave her local anesthesia before filling the tooth.
- Modern anesthesia has evolved significantly, allowing surgeons to perform complex thoracic procedures that were once considered impossible due to patient trauma.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the state or the practice; countable when referring to specific types (e.g., 'a local anesthesia').

### 2. loss of feeling

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · American English

the loss of feeling in a part of your body, sometimes caused by an injury.

For teachers: a physical condition involving the loss of sensation, whether induced medically or resulting from nerve damage or neurological lesions.

- He experienced temporary anesthesia in his fingertips after the accident.
- The patient reported localized anesthesia in the lower extremities, suggesting a potential compression of the spinal nerves.

Usage: Often used in clinical reports to describe symptoms rather than treatments.

## Examples

- The patient was under anesthesia during the surgery.
- The surgeon checked the patient's vital signs while the anesthesia took full effect.
- Modern anesthesia allows for complex surgical interventions that would have been impossible without the ability to temporarily suspend consciousness and pain perception.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.