adj. & n. (US anesthetic)
--n. a substance that produces insensibility to pain etc.
--adj. producing partial or complete insensibility to pain etc.
Phrases and idioms:
general anaesthetic an anaesthetic that affects the whole body, usu. with loss of consciousness. local anaesthetic an anaesthetic that affects a restricted area of the body.
Etymology: Gk anaisthetos insensible (as ANAESTHESIA)