01 v. t. To make sterile or unproductive; to impoverish, as land; to exhaust of fertility.
imp. & p. p.
Sterilized; p. pr. & vb. n.
Sterilizing
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1.
To make sterile or unproductive; to impoverish, as land; to exhaust of fertility.[R.]
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2.
To deprive of the power of reproducing; to render incapable of germination or fecundation; to make sterile.(Biol.)
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3.
To destroy all spores or germs in (an organic fluid or mixture) or on (a medical instrument), as by heat, so as to prevent contamination by bacteria or other organisms. A common method of sterilization in laboratories and medical facilities is to heat a liquid sample or an instrument in an autoclave.(Microbiology, Medicine)
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4.
To destroy all spores or germs on (a surface) by wetting with an antiseptic liquid, such as an alcoholic solution.