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obtund

verb

  1. to reduce the edge or violence of : dull
  2. to diminish or blunt sensitivity or pain
L1481106 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /əbˈtʌnd/ / /ɒbˈtʌnd/ / /ɑbˈtʌnd/

verb

Etymology: Latin obtundere (“to dull", "deaden", "deafen”), from ob- (see ob-) + tundere. More at obtuse.

  1. To reduce the edge or effects of; to mitigate; to dull.

    […] the use of alcoholic decoctions[…] which are given as medicines to allay pain, obtund nerve sensibility, to cure the little sufferer of his vital manifestations […]

    Small doses of opioids are also useful in obtunding airway reflexes […]