autoclave

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/ˈɔt.əˌkleɪv//ˈɔt.oʊˌkleɪv/cot caught merger/ˈɑt.əˌkleɪv/cot caught merger/ˈɑt.oʊˌkleɪv/

noun

A strong, pressurized, heated vessel, as for laboratory experiments, sterilization, cooking or mineral processing.

Similar
claveautokeysterilizersteriliser
OriginFrench autoclave ← Latin clavis →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounautoclave (plural autoclaves)

plural autoclaves

  1. A strong, pressurized, heated vessel, as for laboratory experiments, sterilization, cooking or mineral processing.

    Synonyms: clave

verbautoclave (third-person singular simple present autoclaves, present participle autoclaving, simple past and past participle autoclaved)

present singular third person autoclaves · participle present autoclaving · participle past autoclaved · past autoclaved

  1. transitiveTo sterilize laboratory equipment in an autoclave.
adjectiveautoclave (not comparable)
  1. not comparablecomputingSynonym of autokey.

    Synonyms: autokey

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA strong, pressurized, heated vessel, as for laboratory experiments, sterilization, cooking or mineral processing.

Similar
clave

adjectiveSynonym of autokey.

Similar
autokey

More synonyms by meaning

nouna device for heating substances above their boiling point; used to manufacture chemicals or to sterilize surgical instruments

Similar
sterilizersteriliser
Broader
vessel
Also see
autokeysterilizer

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinclavis“key”
  2. Frenchautoclave
  3. Englishautoclave

Borrowed from French autoclave, formed with prefix auto- + Latin clavis (“key”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 高壓釜 /高压釜, 滅菌釜 /灭菌釜
  • 高壓釜 /高压釜 (gāoyāfǔ)sterilized heating vessel
  • 滅菌釜 /灭菌釜 (mièjūnfǔ)sterilized heating vessel
Czech autokláv
  • autoklávsterilized heating vessel
Finnish autoklaavi, autoklavoida
  • autoklaavisterilized heating vessel
  • autoklavoidasterilize in an autoclave
  • autoklaavatasterilize in an autoclave
French autoclave, autoclaver
  • autoclavesterilized heating vessel
  • autoclaversterilize in an autoclave
German Autoklav
  • Autoklavsterilized heating vessel
Indonesian autoklaf
  • autoklafsterilized heating vessel
Japanese オートクレーブ
  • オートクレーブ (ōtokurēbu)sterilized heating vessel
Korean 오토클레이브
  • 오토클레이브 (otokeulleibeu)sterilized heating vessel
Malay autoklaf
  • autoklafsterilized heating vessel
Persian اتوکلاو
  • اتوکلاو (otoklâv)sterilized heating vessel
Polish autoklaw
  • autoklawsterilized heating vessel
Russian автокла́в
  • автокла́в (avtokláv)sterilized heating vessel
Spanish autoclave
  • autoclavesterilized heating vessel
Swedish autoklav
  • autoklavsterilized heating vessel
Tamil அழுத்த அனற்கலம்
  • அழுத்த அனற்கலம் (aḻutta aṉaṟkalam)sterilized heating vessel

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

vacuolate
Cite this entry
APA

autoclave. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoclave

MLA

“autoclave.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoclave. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “autoclave,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/autoclave.

Source: autoclave on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.