to kill all the bacteria on or in something and to make it completely clean, for example by heating it to a very high temperature. Equipment is sterilized in a machine called a sterilizer.
Synonyms and related words
To make things cleaner or tidier
clean up
clear out
clean
2
to perform an operation on someone to make them unable to produce children
Synonyms and related words
To perform a medical test, treatment or operation
abort
anaesthetise
anaesthetize
derived word
sterilization
noun
Word Forms
singular
sterilization
plural
sterilizations
Synonyms and related words
An instance or an action of cleaning or tidying
rinse
wipe
rub
Synonyms and related words
Medical and health treatments
acupressure
acupuncture
aftercare
sterilize
verb transitive
US /ˈsterəˌlaɪz/
Word Forms
present tense
I/you/we/they
sterilize
he/she/it
sterilizes
present participle
sterilizing
past tense
sterilized
past participle
sterilized
DEFINITIONS2
1
to kill all the bacteria on or in something and to make it completely clean, for example by heating it to a very high temperature. Equipment is sterilized in a machine called a sterilizer.
Synonyms and related words
To make things cleaner or tidier
clean up
clear out
clean
2
to perform an operation on someone to make them unable to produce children