obtund

Definition

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

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

• "[…] 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 […]"