desensitize

desensitize definition - medical

de·sen·si·tize (dē-sĕnˈsĭ-tīzˌ)

verb
  1. To render insensitive or less sensitive, as a nerve or tooth.
  2. To make an individual nonreactive or insensitive to an antigen.
  3. To make a person emotionally insensitive or unresponsive, as by long exposure or repeated shocks.

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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