cryogenic

adjective

cryo·​gen·​ic ˌkrī-ə-ˈje-nik 

1

a

: of or relating to the production of very low temperatures

b

: being or relating to very low temperatures

2

a

: requiring or involving the use of a cryogenic temperature

b

: requiring cryogenic storage

c

: suitable for storage of a cryogenic substance

cryogenically

ˌkrī-ə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Examples of cryogenic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Short for cryogenic electron microscopy, cryo-EM is a technique for visualizing minuscule biological structures at high resolution. —Dan Samorodnitsky, Quanta Magazine, 5 June 2024

By some estimates, more than 1 million embryos are currently in cryogenic storage across the U.S. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024

There were digressions into history, comparative government, union organizing, car safety, Robert McNamara, the strength of triangles, the cryogenic preservation of corpses. —Joseph Bernstein Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 3 June 2024

True, superconductors work only at cryogenic temperatures, requiring some cooling overhead. —Anna Herr, IEEE Spectrum, 15 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

cryo- + -genic

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Medical Definition

cryogenic

adjective

cryo·​gen·​ic ˌkrī-ə-ˈjen-ik 

1

a

: of or relating to the production of very low temperatures

b

: being or relating to very low temperatures

2

: requiring or involving the use of a cryogenic temperature

cryogenic surgery

cryogenic arterial thrombolysis

cryogenically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb