Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

antiseptic

2 ENTRIES FOUND:

1an·ti·sep·tic

adj \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

Other Pharmacology Terms

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

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: antiserum
Previous Word in the Dictionary: antisepsis
All Words Near: antiseptic

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up antiseptic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).