Anaesthetic

/ˌænɪsˈθɛtɪk/ noun, adjective

Definition

A drug or gas that makes a person unconscious or unable to feel pain during surgery; or something that numbs feelings.

Etymology

From Greek 'anaisthetis,' combining 'an-' (without) and 'aisthesis' (sensation/feeling). The term was coined in the 1840s when anesthesia was invented.

Kelly Says

The word 'anaesthetic' was invented to describe a revolutionary 1840s technology, but it perfectly captures something that existed forever in human experience: the desire to feel nothing, wrapped up in a Greek medical term.

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