Anesthetize
/ˈæn.əs.θə.taɪz/noun
To make a person or part of the body unable to feel pain.
Did you know?It was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots, and its deeper ancestor is the same root behind words for perception, feeling, and even the idea of being aware.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sḗh₁-
“to perceive, feel”
Ancient Greek
Greek
aisthánesthai
“to perceive, notice, feel”
Ancient Greek
Greek
an- + aisthēsis
“without sensation”
18th Century
New Latin
anæsthesia
“loss or absence of sensation”
19th Century
English
anesthetize
“to induce insensibility, especially to pain”
Explore more surprising origins