- narcotic
- narcotic: [14] Greek nárkē meant ‘numbness’. From it was derived the verb narkoun ‘make numb’, which in turn formed the basis of the adjective narkōtikós ‘numbing’, which passed into English via medieval Latin narcōticus and Old French narcotique.
- benumb (v.)
- late 15c., from be- + numb. Originally of mental states; of the physical body from 1520s. Related: Benumbed; benumbing.
- numb (v.)
- 1550s, from numb (adj.). Related: Numbed; numbing.