sterilize

verb/ˈstɛrəlaɪz/

Frequency rank: #18,443 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

to make something free from bacteria or other living microorganisms.

Illustration for the English word “sterilize”

Example sentence

The nurse used boiling water to sterilize the medical instruments before the operation.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 18,401–18,500