Main Entry: eu·tha·na·sia

Pronunciation: \ˌyü-thə-ˈnā-zh(ē-)ə\

Function: noun

: the act or practice of killing hopelessly sick or injured individuals (as persons or domestic animals) in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy ; also : the act or practice of allowing a hopelessly sick or injured patient to die by taking less than complete medical measures to prolong life—called also mercy killing