acmesthesia

American  

[ak-muhs-thee-zhuh, -zhee-uh, -zee-uh] / ˌæk məsˈθi ʒə, -ʒi ə, -zi ə /

Or acmaesthesia

noun

Psychology.

1. awareness of sharp points through the sense of touch without experiencing pain.

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Etymology

Origin of acmesthesia

< Greek akm ( ḗ ) acme + esthesia

Explanation

Some lab technicians who take blood for medical tests are so expert that all you experience when they insert the needle is acmesthesia — a sharp point pricking or piercing your skin, but no pain. That’s probably also what is experienced by those people who can lie down on a bed of nails! Acmesthesia combines the word acme, which means "point or tip," with the Greek esthesia, which means "feeling." That second part might look familiar from the word anesthesia, a condition where you can't feel anything — usually because you've been given a drug, also called anesthesia, that puts you to sleep.