epidural
noun /ˌepɪˈdjʊərəl/
/ˌepɪˈdʊrəl/
(medical)- an anaesthetic that is put into the lower part of the back so that no pain is felt below the middle part of the body
- Some mothers choose to have an epidural when giving birth.
Word Originlate 19th cent.: from epi- ‘upon’ + dura ‘the outermost membrane around the brain and spinal cord’ + -al.