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| an·es·the·sia [ ànnəss thə ] or an·aes·the·sia [ ànnəss thə ] |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. medically induced insensitivity to pain: induced loss of sensitivity to pain in all or a part of the body for medical reasons. Methods include drugs, acupuncture, and hypnosis. The procedure may render the patient unconscious general anesthesia or merely numb a body part local anesthesia.
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2. loss of sensation: the loss of sensation caused by damage to a nerve
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3. apathy: a state of apathy or mindlessness
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| [Early 18th century. Via modern Latin< Greek anaisthēsia "lack of sensation" < aisthēsis "feeling, sensation" (see aesthesia)] |
