Dictionary.com/anodyne (etymology):

anodyne (AN-uh-dyn) adjective

1. Capable of soothing or eliminating pain.
2. Relaxing: anodyne novels about country life.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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adj : capable of relieving pain; “the anodyne properties of certain drugs”; “an analgesic effect” [syn: analgesic, analgetic] n : a medicine used to relieve pain [syn: analgesic, painkiller, pain pill]

Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University