Definition of "anesthetic" []

• Relating to or resembling anesthesia. (adjective)
• Causing anesthesia. (adjective)
• Insensitive. (adjective)
• An agent that causes loss of sensation with or without the loss of consciousness. (noun)
• Something likened to this in effect: For some people watching television is an anesthetic for the mind. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "A local anesthetic is used prior to the procedure, and a mild anesthetic is often mixed into the injection fluid."
• "The dose of general anesthetic is kept to a minimum until the baby is delivered."
• "The right anesthetic is tailored between you, doctors and pertinent surgical issues (such as time length of surgery)."