Main Entry: ¹an·ti·sep·tic

Pronunciation: \ˌan-tə-ˈsep-tik\

Function: adjective

Etymology: anti- + Greek sēptikos putrefying, septic

Date: 1751

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