sterilizing

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   Present participle of sterilize: killing all germs on something, usually with heat, steam or chemicals.

   Grammar: Takes an object: sterilizing the bottles.

   Patterns

   • sterilizing something with something
   • sterilizing something before something

   The nurse is sterilizing the instruments in an autoclave.

   Parents spend a lot of time sterilizing baby bottles in the first months.

   We are sterilizing the jars with boiling water before making jam.

2. 2verbtransitivemedical

   Present participle of sterilize: making a person or animal permanently unable to have offspring through a medical procedure.

   Grammar: Takes an object: sterilizing the cats.

   Patterns

   • sterilizing an animal

   The shelter is sterilizing stray cats to control their numbers.

   Sterilizing pets is common practice at many clinics.

   Forced sterilizing of people is a serious violation of human rights.

3. 3noununcountable

   The act or process of making something free of living germs.

   Grammar: Uncountable: sterilizing is essential in surgery.

   Patterns

   • the sterilizing of something

   The sterilizing of surgical tools takes about twenty minutes.

   Careful sterilizing prevents infections.

   Sterilizing is the first step in canning at home.

Word forms

Common combinations

sterilizing equipment

Sterilizing equipment is part of the daily routine in the lab.

sterilizing solution

Soak the pacifier in a sterilizing solution for ten minutes.

sterilizing with steam

Sterilizing with steam is quick and leaves no chemical taste.

sterilizing baby bottles

Sterilizing baby bottles seems endless at first.

sterilizing agent

Chlorine is a common sterilizing agent for water.

Synonyms and how they differ

disinfecting

Disinfecting kills most harmful germs on surfaces, but sterilizing aims to kill every living microbe.

sanitizing

Sanitizing only lowers germs to a safe level, so it is a weaker process than sterilizing.

decontaminating

Decontaminating removes any harmful substance, including chemicals, not only germs.

neutering

Neutering is the common word for sterilizing a pet, and it does not apply to germs.

Opposites

Word family

sterilize verb

to kill all germs or remove ability to reproduce

sterilization noun

the process of sterilizing

sterile adjective

free from germs; unable to reproduce

sterilizer noun

a machine or substance used for sterilizing

sterility noun

the state of being sterile

Commonly confused: sterilizing or sanitizing?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sterilizing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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