sterilize
English
Alternative forms
- sterilise (UK)
Etymology
Verb
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- To deprive of the ability to procreate.
- To make unable to produce; to make unprofitable.
- (biology) To kill, deactivate (denature), or destroy (break apart) all living, viable microorganisms and spores on a surface, in a fluid, or contained in a compound, such as culture media or a medical product.
Related terms
Translations
disable ability to procreate
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make unable to produce; make unprofitable
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(biology) to destroy all spores or germs
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See also
References
- “sterilize”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.