sterilize
Meanings
verb
- To deprive of the ability to procreate.
- To make unable to produce; to make unprofitable.
- 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.
- To render a planet like Earth permanently uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, causing their complete extinction.
- To redact (a document), removing classified or sensitive material.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From sterile + -ize.
Synonyms
Related words
Derived words
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.