anesthetize

verb

anes·​the·​tize ə-ˈnes-thə-ˌtīz How to pronounce anesthetize (audio)
 British  -ˈnēs-
anesthetized; anesthetizing

transitive verb

: to subject to anesthesia

Examples of anesthetize in a Sentence

The doctor anesthetized the patient by an intravenous injection. She was anesthetized before the operation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While the insect is anesthetized with CO2, an ultra-thin silver wire is inserted into each cerci – taillike sensory appendages (picture the tail end of an earwig or cricket) – as well as into each antennae and a tiny hole cut into its second abdominal segment. Anna Funk, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025 Increasing blessedness tends to anesthetize personality, but, especially in Hell, Dante’s characters are irreducible individuals, vivid and particular. Elisa Gonzalez, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 The standard screening test for colon cancer is through colonoscopy, but this can require patients to go through unpleasant bowel preparation and to then be anesthetized during the medical procedure. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 Once in the operating room, everything was planned, Gottlieb said, including how the staff maintained calm and stayed positive, especially as Gottlieb and her team were anesthetizing the girls. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 3 Sep. 2024 See All Example Sentences for anesthetize

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anesthetize was in 1848

Browse Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

“Anesthetize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anesthetize. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

anesthetize

verb
anes·​the·​tize ə-ˈnes-thə-ˌtīz How to pronounce anesthetize (audio)
anesthetized; anesthetizing
: to make insensible to pain especially by the use of an anesthetic

Medical Definition

anesthetize

transitive verb
anes·​the·​tize
variants or chiefly British anaesthetize also anaesthetise
anesthetized or chiefly British anesthetized also anesthetised; anesthetizing or chiefly British anesthetizing also anesthetising
: to subject to anesthesia
anesthetization noun
or chiefly British anaesthetization also anaesthetisation
ə-ˌnes-thət-ə-ˈzā-shən, British -ˌnēs-

More from Merriam-Webster on anesthetize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!