A drug for producing a preliminary and a more comfortable loss of sensations: Sharon's doctor prescribed that she be given a preanesthetic before the full anesthesia agent would be administered in order to reduce her anxiety and apprehension and to make the induction smoother and faster.

1. Descriptive of a medication that is given prior to the injection of a drug that will result in a total loss of bodily sensations: The anesthetist gave a preanesthetic drug to Patricia in order to reduce her anxiety and apprehension and to facilitate the induction of a general anesthesia before her operation was to take place.
2. A reference to the provision of a medical substance to develop a reduction in a patient's consciousness: Dr. Bowes, the anesthesiologist, recommended the use of a preanesthetic drug prior to administering the normal anesthetic for Dick's's major surgery.