1. to put (an animal) to death humanely, especially to end suffering from incurable disease or injury
Usage: transitive verb; commonly used in veterinary and animal welfare contexts

Examples

• The veterinarian euthanatizes animals that are suffering from terminal illnesses.
• When a horse breaks its leg severely, a veterinarian may euthanatize it to prevent further pain.
• The shelter euthanatizes only those animals that are too sick or dangerous to be adopted.
• After the accident, the injured dog had to be euthanatized by the emergency vet.
• Many animal rescue organizations work to reduce the number of animals that must be euthanatized.