Dictionary.com

bacterize

[ bak-tuh-rahyz ]
/ ˈbæk təˌraɪz /

verb (used with object), bac·te·rized, bac·te·riz·ing.

to change in composition by means of bacteria.

QUIZZES

THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?

Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
The Sunflower State
The Evergreen State
The Magnolia State
The Mockingbird State
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also especially British, bac·te·rise .

Origin of bacterize

First recorded in 1910–15; bacter- + -ize

OTHER WORDS FROM bacterize

bac·te·ri·za·tion, noun

Words nearby bacterize

bacteriostasis, bacteriostat, bacteriotoxin, bacterium, bacteriuria, bacterize, bacteroid, bacteroides, Bacteroides capillosus, Bacteroides disiens, Bacteroides fragilis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020