anaesthesia

American  

[an-uhs-thee-zhuh] / ˌæn əsˈθi ʒə /

noun

Medicine/Medical, Pathology.

1. anesthesia.

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anaesthesia British  

/ ˌænɪsˈθiːzɪə /

noun

1. local or general loss of bodily sensation, esp of touch, as the result of nerve damage or other abnormality

2. loss of sensation, esp of pain, induced by drugs: called general anaesthesia when consciousness is lost and local anaesthesia when only a specific area of the body is involved

3. a general dullness or lack of feeling

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Other Word Forms

• anaesthetic adjective
• anaesthetist noun
• semianaesthetic adjective

Etymology

Origin of anaesthesia

C19: from New Latin, from Greek anaisthēsia absence of sensation, from _an- + aisthēsis feeling

Example Sentences

"Since the ability to hear remains intact under anaesthesia," the researchers write, "music can still shape the brain's internal state."

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

"The laryngoscopy and intubation are considered the most stressful response during general anaesthesia," says Dr Sonia Wadhawan, director-professor of anaesthesia and intensive care at Maulana Azad Medical College and supervisor of the study.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

To understand why the researchers turned to music, it helps to decode the modern practice of anaesthesia.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

But its entry into the intensely technical, machine-governed world of anaesthesia marks a quiet shift.

From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025

Come back around 5 o’clock, he had said, when Finny should be coming out of the anaesthesia.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles