Euthanize
/ˈjuː.θə.naɪz/noun
To end the life of a person or animal painlessly, especially to relieve suffering.
Did you know?Its roots are Greek: *eu-* meant “good” and *thanatos* meant “death,” the same death-god name that lives on in words like *thanatology* and *euthanasia*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰenh₂-
“to die; death”
Ancient Greek
Greek
εὖ (eu) + θάνατος (thanatos)
“good + death”
Late 19th Century
English
euthanasia
“an easy or painless death”
20th Century
English
euthanize
“to put to death painlessly, especially to end suffering”
Modern English
English
euthanize
“to end the life of a person or animal painlessly, especially to relieve suffering”