[uncountable,countable]a drug that makes a person or an animal unable to feel anything, especially pain, either in the whole body or in a part of the bodyHow long will I be under anaesthetic?They gave him a general anaesthetic(= one that makes you become unconscious).(a) local anaesthetic(= one that affects only a part of the body)We forget what life must have been like without anaesthetics and painkillers.Wordfinderoperationamputate,anaesthetic,graft,operation,procedure,scalpel,scrubs,stitch,surgery,transplantWordfinderdentistanaesthetic,cavity,check-up,crown,dentist,dentures,drill,extract,filling,hygienistOxford Collocations Dictionaryadjectivegeneral,localverb + anaesthetic/anestheticadminister,give somebody,inject,…anaesthetic/anesthetic + verbtake effect,work,wear off,…prepositionunder (an/the) anaesthetic,without (an/the) anaestheticSeefull entrySee related entries:Operations,MedicationWord Originmid 19th cent.: from Greek anaisthētos ‘insensible’, related to anaisthēsia, (from an- ‘without’ + aisthēsis ‘sensation’) + -ic.Extra examplesHe was given a general anaesthetic.It would have to be done under anaesthetic.She had a local anaesthetic to stop the pain.The anaesthetic began to take effect.The operation was completed in ten minutes using only local anaesthetic.They had to operate without anaesthetic.
See anaesthetic in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
