anesthetize
UK[əˈniːsθətaɪz]US[əˈnɛsθəˌtaɪz]
v
to administer an anesthetic to (a person or animal), especially to induce a loss of consciousness or sensation before a medical operation.
v
to dull or deaden sensitivity, awareness, or feeling.
Morpheme Breakdown
an
esthet
ize
an
without
esthet
feeling, sensation
ize
verb-forming suffix
Etymology
the word 'anesthetize' is built upon the classical greek root for sensation, aisthēsis. the prefix 'an-' is a greek negation, akin to 'a-' or 'un-', meaning "without." the core concept is therefore "without sensation." this precise medical term was consciously constructed in the 19th century, coinciding with the development of modern surgical anesthesia. the suffix '-ize' transforms the abstract noun into an active verb, meaning "to render without sensation." thus, the literal morpheme sequence "without-feeling-make" elegantly captures the exact process of inducing a state of insensibility, whether for medical intervention or metaphorical numbing.
Analysis
Structure: an (without) + esthet (feeling, sensation) + ize (verb-forming suffix)
an: from greek, a prefix meaning "without," "not."
esthet: from greek aisthēt- (stem of aisthēsis), meaning "sensation," "perception," "feeling."
ize: from greek -izein via latin -izare and french -iser, a verb-forming suffix meaning "to make," "to render," "to become."
Examples
the veterinarian will anesthetize the dog before performing the surgery.
the monotonous lecture seemed to anesthetize the entire audience.
a local anesthetic is used to anesthetize only a specific part of the body.