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sterilant

American  
[ster-uh-luhnt] / ˈstɛr ə lənt /

noun

Chemistry.

  1. a sterilizing agent.

sterilant British  
/ ˈstɛrɪlənt /

noun

  1. any substance or agent used in sterilization

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sterilant

First recorded in 1940–45; sterile + -ant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It’s hot as hell in there, and alkali is a powerful sterilant at temperature,” Wilson says.

From Scientific American • Sep. 7, 2017

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.