disinfect
/dɪsɪnˈfɛkt
/verb [with object]
Clean (something), especially with a chemical, in order to destroy bacteria: he disinfected and dressed the cut on his forehead chlorine has been used to disinfect water in pools for many years...
- Destroy badly diseased plants, and thoroughly clean and disinfect their containers before reusing them.
- Today doctors use medicinal maggots to clean wounds by dissolving dead tissue and to disinfect them by killing bacteria.
- And once you bring home your new pet, you need to be ready for years of daily food preparation, cleaning and disinfecting the cage.
Synonyms
sterilize, sanitize, clean, cleanse, purify, decontaminate;
fumigate;
pasteurize
technical autoclave
rare deterge, depollute, depurate
Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense 'rid of infection'): from French désinfecter, from dés- (expressing reversal) + infecter 'to infect'.