Definition of "tranquilize" [tran•quil•ize]

• To make tranquil; pacify: "Nothing contributes so much to tranquilize the mind as a steady purpose” ( Mary Shelley). (verb-transitive)
• To sedate or relieve of anxiety or tension by the administration of a drug. (verb-transitive)
• To become tranquil; relax. (verb-intransitive)
• To have a calming or soothing effect. (verb-intransitive)

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.

• "Catch and release deer hunting where you tranquilize trophy deer, get your picture and then go home."
• "As opposed to paying a company thousands of dollars to tranquilize and relocate the bears."
• "After an unsuccessful attempt by Finnish trackers to tranquilize and relocate him, local hunters shot and killed him."