antiseptic

¹an·ti·sep·tic

adjective \ˌan-tə-ˈsep-tik\

Definition of ANTISEPTIC

1

a : opposing sepsis, putrefaction, or decay; especially : preventing or arresting the growth of microorganisms (as on living tissue)

b : acting or protecting like an antiseptic

2

: relating to or characterized by the use of antiseptics

3

a : scrupulously clean : aseptic

b : extremely neat or orderly; especially : neat to the point of being bare or uninteresting

c : free from what is held to be contaminating

4

a : coldly impersonal <an antiseptic greeting>

b : of, relating to, or being warfare conducted with cold precision from a safe distance with few or no casualties on one's side <antiseptic bombings>

— an·ti·sep·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of ANTISEPTIC

1. <known for keeping a strenuously antiseptic kitchen, the floor of which does indeed seem fit for eating off of>
2. <for such an expensive, elegant Sunday brunch, one would expect the attendants at the buffet tables to be professionally attired in starched, antiseptic white jackets>

Origin of ANTISEPTIC

anti- + Greek sēptikos putrefying, septic

First Known Use: 1751

Related to ANTISEPTIC

Synonyms

neat, bandbox, crisp, groomed, kempt, orderly, picked up, prim, shipshape, smug, snug, tidied, tidy, trig, trim, uncluttered, well-groomed

Antonyms

disheveled (or dishevelled), disordered, disorderly, messy, mussed, mussy, sloven, slovenly, unkempt, untidy

Related Words

dapper, natty, saucy, smart, spiffy, spruce; immaculate, spick-and-span (or spic-and-span), spotless; rakish, sleek, streamlined, taut; organized, straight, systematic

Near Antonyms

scruffy, seedy, shabby, slipshod, sloppy; dirty, filthy, foul, nasty, sordid, squalid; dowdy, frowsy (or frowzy), rumpled, tousled, tumbled; disorganized, unsystematic

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

Rhymes with ANTISEPTIC

analeptic, cataleptic, epileptic, narcoleptic, nympholeptic

²antiseptic

noun

Definition of ANTISEPTIC

: a substance that inhibits the growth or action of microorganisms especially in or on living tissue; also : germicide

Examples of ANTISEPTIC

1. Clean the affected area with an antiseptic.
2. He applied antiseptic to the wound.

First Known Use of ANTISEPTIC

1751

Other Pharmacology Terms

anodyne, cathartic, emetic, emollient, liniment, paregoric, poultice, purgative, soporific, spectrum

antiseptic

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Any of a variety of agents applied to living tissue to destroy or inhibit growth of infectious microorganisms. An antiseptic's efficiency depends on concentration, time, and temperature. It is most valuable in the disinfection of contaminated wounds or skin surfaces when a wide margin exists between the concentration at which it is germicidal and that at which it is toxic to the body's cells. Many antiseptics destroy specific types or forms of microorganisms (e.g., bacteria but not spores). Among the major families of antiseptics are alcohols, phenols, chlorine and iodine compounds, mercury-based tinctures, certain acridine dyes, and some essential oils. Antiseptics are distinguished from disinfectants, which are germicidal agents used to destroy microorganisms on inanimate surfaces. See also antibiotic.