'anesthetist' originates from Modern English, specifically from the word 'anesthesia' with the suffix '-ist', where 'anesthesia' meant 'loss of sensation' and '-ist' meant 'a person who practices or is concerned with something'.

'anesthetist' was formed in the mid-19th century from 'anesthesia' (from Greek 'anaisthēsia', meaning 'lack of sensation') and the suffix '-ist', and eventually became the modern English word 'anesthetist'.

Initially, it meant 'a person who administers anesthesia', and this meaning has remained the same in modern usage.