1. administering an anaesthetic to; causing loss of sensation or consciousness in a patient before surgery or medical procedure
Usage: British English spelling; American English uses 'anesthetizing'; present participle or gerund form of 'anaesthetise'
2. making someone insensitive or unresponsive to something; dulling awareness or emotion
Usage: figurative use

Examples

• The surgeon is anaesthetising the patient before the operation begins.
• The dentist was anaesthetising the area around the tooth to prevent pain.
• Constant exposure to violence can be anaesthetising, making people less responsive to suffering.
• The medication works by anaesthetising the nerve endings in the affected region.
• Years of routine work were anaesthetising her to the beauty of the landscape.
• The anaesthetising effect of the drug allowed the procedure to proceed without discomfort.