desterilize

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verb

To contaminate (medical equipment, etc.) so that it is no longer sterile.

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Meanings

verbdesterilize (third-person singular simple present desterilizes, present participle desterilizing, simple past and past participle desterilized)

present singular third person desterilizes · participle present desterilizing · participle past desterilized · past desterilized

  1. transitiveTo contaminate (medical equipment, etc.) so that it is no longer sterile.

    The devices were explanted postmortem or during an upgrade intervention, but also devices that were accidentally desterilized or were improperly sealed were included.

    2015 August 12, Raluca Şoşdean et al., “Safety and feasibility of biventricular devices reuse in general and elderly population – a single-center retrospective cohort study”, in Clinical Interventions in Aging, volume 10, →DOI
  2. economicsTo carry out a monetary process that is the reverse of sterilization.

Origin

From de- + sterilize.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

desterilize. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desterilize

MLA

“desterilize.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desterilize. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “desterilize,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desterilize.

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