laughing gas
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * Nitrous Oxide: A colorless, sweet-smelling gas (chemical formula N₂O) used as a mild anesthetic, especially in dentistry and minor surgery. When inhaled, it can produce feelings of euphoria, relaxation, and uncontrollable laughter, which gives the gas its common name.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The dentist administered laughing gas to help the patient relax before the procedure.
- Laughing gas is often used as a sedative during wisdom tooth extraction.
- The discovery of the euphoric effects of laughing gas led to its use for entertainment in the 19th century.
Advanced Usage
- "under laughing gas": Describes the state of being sedated or anesthetized by nitrous oxide.
- The patient felt no pain while under laughing gas.
Variants and Related Words
- Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) (n): The formal chemical and medical term for laughing gas.
- Nitrous (n, informal): A common informal shortening, especially in automotive contexts (referring to nitrous oxide engine boost) and recreational use.
- Inhalation anesthetic (n): The general category of anesthetic drugs to which laughing gas belongs.
Synonyms
- Nitrous oxide: The direct technical synonym.
- Dinitrogen monoxide: An alternative chemical name.
Related Phrases
- To administer laughing gas: To give or apply the gas to a patient.
- The anesthesiologist will administer laughing gas through a small mask.
- The effects of laughing gas wear off: The sedative and euphoric effects disappear, typically very quickly after inhalation stops.
- The effects of laughing gas wear off rapidly, allowing patients to drive home soon after a dental appointment.
Noun
- inhalation anesthetic used as an anesthetic in dentistry and surgery