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Anodyne vs Anesthetic - What's the difference?

anodyne | anesthetic |

As adjectives the difference between anodyne and anesthetic

is that anodyne is capable]] of [[soothe|soothing or eliminating pain while anesthetic is causing the reduction of pain sensitivity.

As nouns the difference between anodyne and anesthetic

is that anodyne is (pharmacology) any medicine or other agent that relieves pain while anesthetic is (medicine) a substance administered to reduce the perception of pain or to induce numbness an anesthetic may or may not render the recipient unconscious, depending upon the type used.

anodyne

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Capable]] of [[soothe, soothing or eliminating pain.
  • * 1847 , Littell's Living Age , number 161, 12 June 1847, in Volume 13, page 483:
    • Many a time has the vapor of ether been inhaled for the relief of oppressed lungs; many a time has the sought relief been thus obtained; and just so many times has the discovery of the wonderful anodyne properties of this gas, as affecting all bodily suffering, been brushed past and overlooked.
  • * 1910 , Edward L. Keyes, Diseases of the Genito-Urinary Organs , page 211:
    • The citrate is the most efficient as an alkali, but irritates some stomachs, the liquor the most anodyne , the acetate the most diuretic.
  • (figuratively) Soothing or relaxing.
    • Classical music is rather anodyne .
  • Noncontentious, blandly agreeable, unlikely to cause offence or debate; bland, inoffensive.
  • * 2003 , The Guardian , 20 May 2003:
    • It all became so routine, so anodyne , so dull.
  • * 2010 , "Rattled", The Economist , 9 Dec 2010:
    • States typically like to stick to anodyne messages, like saving wildflowers or animals. But every so often a controversy crops up.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (pharmacology) Any medicine or other agent that relieves pain.
  • (figuratively) A source of relaxation or comfort.
  • *1890 , (Oscar Wilde), The Picture of Dorian Gray , ch. VII:
  • *:The air was heavy with the perfume of the flowers, and their beauty seemed to bring him an anodyne for his pain.
  • *1929 , (Virginia Woolf), A Room of One's Own , page 79:
    • So, with a sigh, because novels so often provide an anodyne and not an antidote, glide one into torpid slumbers instead of rousing one with a burning brand.

    Derived terms

    * anodynia * anodynous

    References

    * *

    Anagrams

    *

    anesthetic

    English

    Alternative forms

    * anaesthetic

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Causing the reduction of pain sensitivity.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine) A substance administered to reduce the perception of pain or to induce numbness. An anesthetic may or may not render the recipient unconscious, depending upon the type used.
  • * 1994 , Anesthetics (Ophthalmic)] ([http://www.drugs.com/cons/anesthetics-ophthalmic.html original version), Drugs.com:
    • After a local anesthetic' is applied to the eye, do not rub or wipe the eye until the ' anesthetic has worn off and feeling in the eye returns.
  • * 2004 , Jacoby, David B. and Youngson, R. M., Encyclopedia of Famiy Health , Marshall Cavendish, pg. 91.
    • Modern anesthetics can be divided into several different groups according to how and where they act to reduce pain.
    During premedication, the anesthetist may give a patient drugs that make him or her feel relaxed and drowsy before the actual general anesthetic is administered.

    Related terms

    * freezing

    References

    * " Anesthetics", 2010 MeSH, National Library of Medicine.