cryogenic

adjective cryo·gen·ic \ ˌkrī-ə-ˈje-nik \

|Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of cryogenic

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

play \ˌkrī-ə-ˈje-ni-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Recent Examples of cryogenic from the Web

Each tower will contain six crystals slotted into their own units, and the four towers will be placed in a cryogenic container called the SNOBOX to cool the experiment to near absolute zero.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The Search for Dark Matter Continues, More Than a Mile Underground," 9 May 2018
The incident March 3-4, in which rising temperatures in a cryogenic freezer rendered 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos nonviable, has raised many questions about life, death and technology.

— julie washington, cleveland.com, "Are frozen embryos human life? Fertility treatments present ethical dilemmas," 11 Apr. 2018
There’s time to take in details: the gleam of the boosters, painted white to keep the cryogenic gas inside cool; the rippling orange taper of the 5,500-degree-F exhaust.

— Popular Mechanics, "55 Things to Do Before the World Ends," 19 Apr. 2018
Fertility Unlimited's cryogenic unit can hold up to 1,000 embryos.

— ginger christ and julie washington, cleveland.com, "Tours of Ohio fertility clinics show procedures in place to safeguard eggs, embryos (photos, videos)," 25 Mar. 2018
In addition to the usual hazards of driving a tanker on the road, these drivers have to handle cryogenic nitrogen and others gases that have the potential to freeze off fingers or be accidentally inhaled.

— jay samit, Fortune, "How Virtual Reality Is Improving Trucker Safety for UPS and Other Suppliers," 11 Apr. 2018
Custom Biogenic Systems, based in Bruce Township, Mich., designs and manufactures liquid nitrogen laboratory freezers, cryogenic equipment and accessories, according to its website.

— ginger christ and julie washington, cleveland.com, "Human error may be at fault in University Hospitals' fertility clinic failure, 4,000 eggs, embryos ruined," 27 Mar. 2018
Research Leader Christina Walters overlooks a room of cryogenic vats at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015, in Fort Collins, CO.

— sena christian, Newsweek, "Breakfast in Post-Apocalypse America: Inside Colorado's Fort Knox of Food," 19 Nov. 2015
Those that had little volcanic activity would never emit enough carbon dioxide to spark the runaway global warming needed to wake them from their cryogenic slumber (as likely happened on Earth).

— shannon hall, Scientific American, "Like Ancient Snowball Earth, Frozen Planets May Still Be Habitable," 13 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cryogenic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cryogenic

cryo- + -genic

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1896

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

cryogenic

adjective cryo·gen·ic \ ˌkrī-ə-ˈjen-ik \

medical Definition of cryogenic

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

play \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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cryogenic

Definition of cryogenic

cryogenically

Recent Examples of cryogenic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cryogenic

Medical Dictionary

cryogenic

medical Definition of cryogenic

cryogenically

Learn More about cryogenic

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cryogenic

Definition of cryogenic

cryogenically

Recent Examples of cryogenic from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cryogenic

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cryogenic

medical Definition of cryogenic

cryogenically

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