A local anesthetic drug applied topically to numb pain in the mouth, throat, or skin; commonly found in throat lozenges and oral products.
From 'benzo-' (benzene-derived) + '-caine' (suffix for local anesthetics). Synthesized in early 1900s as an alternative to cocaine.
Benzocaine is why you can numb your sore throat—it's basically a safer chemical cousin of cocaine that lets your nerve endings take a temporary nap without the dangerous side effects.
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