sterilizer

noun

ster·​il·​iz·​er ˈster-ə-ˌlī-zər 

plural sterilizers

: one that sterilizes something: such as

a

: an apparatus for destroying viable microorganisms (as by the use of steam or dry heat) compare autoclave, sterilant

b

: a person whose work involves sterilizing something (such as medical equipment)

Examples of sterilizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For wee tots, the following can be provided, if needed, at no additional charge: rollaway beds, cribs, highchairs, diapers, swim diapers and wipes, bed guards, bottle sterilizers, special bathtubs (with organic bath amenities), and a microwave. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

The drink’s extended shelf life is made possible with a hydrostatic sterilizer machine. —Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026

Kevin Wagner, vice president of the medical sterilizer company Sterigenics, messaged asking that nine facilities emitting the carcinogenic gas ethylene oxide, including near Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Charlotte and Atlanta, be exempted. —Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 8 May 2026

Coincidentally or not, the sterilizer industry’s trade group had made this same argument in a 2024 legal filing. —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sterilizer

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• fertilizer
• localizer
• merchandiser

Kids Definition

sterilizer

noun

ster·​il·​iz·​er

ˈster-ə-ˌlī-zər

: one that sterilizes something

especially : a device used for sterilizing by steam, boiling water, or dry heat

Medical Definition

sterilizer

noun

ster·​il·​iz·​er

variants also British steriliser

ˈster-ə-ˌlī-zər 

: an apparatus for sterilizing (as by the agency of steam, ultraviolet radiation, or chemicals)