sterilizer
/'sterilaizə/
Definition
- Noun:
- A device for sterilizing: A sterilizer is a piece of equipment designed to destroy all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and spores, on objects or in substances. It typically uses heat, steam, radiation, or chemicals to achieve sterility.
- A device for heating above boiling point: Specifically, an autoclave-type sterilizer uses pressurized steam to heat substances above their normal boiling point, which is effective for sterilization.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The dental assistant placed the instruments in the sterilizer.
- Hospitals use a large steam sterilizer for surgical equipment.
- Laboratories require an efficient sterilizer for their glassware.
Advanced Usage
- "to run/operate a sterilizer": To use or manage the device.
- Only trained personnel should operate the chemical sterilizer.
- "sterilizer cycle": Refers to the complete, timed process the device performs.
- The autoclave's sterilizer cycle takes about 20 minutes.
Variants and Related Words
- Sterilize (verb): To make something free from living microorganisms.
- You must sterilize the baby's bottles.
- Sterilization (noun): The process of making something sterile.
- Sterilization is a critical step in the operating room.
- Sterile (adjective): Free from living germs.
- The surgeon's gloves must be sterile.
Synonyms
- Autoclave: A specific type of sterilizer that uses high-pressure steam.
- Disinfector: A device that destroys harmful microorganisms, though not necessarily all spores (a key distinction from a sterilizer).
Related Phrases
- Portable sterilizer: A smaller, often electric, device for specific uses.
- The tattoo artist uses a portable sterilizer for needles.
- UV sterilizer: A device that uses ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms.
- They installed a UV sterilizer in the aquarium to control algae.
Related Idioms
(Note: As a technical noun, "sterilizer" is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions. Its related verb, "sterilize," is used in broader contexts.) - To sterilize a wound: To clean it thoroughly to prevent infection. - The first step is to sterilize the wound with an antiseptic.
Noun
-
a device for heating substances above their boiling point; used to manufacture chemicals or to sterilize surgical instruments
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