pas·teur·ize
ˈpas-chə-ˌrīz 
ˈpas-tyə-
-tə-
ˈpas-tyə-
-tə-
pasteurized; pasteurizing
: to subject to pasteurization
pasteurizer
noun
pas·teur·iz·er
variants
also British pasteuriser
-zə(r)
plural -s
: one that pasteurizes: such as
a
: an apparatus for pasteurizing fluids
b
: a worker who does pasteurizing
Examples of pasteurize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
CNN Money, 14 June 2026
But spokespeople for that agency and the state Department of Public Health emphasized that the best way to prevent illness is to drink milk that has been pasteurized.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
Cows produce more colostrum than their calves need, so the excess is collected, pasteurized, dried and packaged for human consumption.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 2 June 2026
Making the powder involves several steps, including milk testing and pasteurization, the separation of curds and whey, draining and pasteurizing the liquid whey, and then sending it to a processing facility to remove more liquid via evaporation and spray drying.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pasteurize
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Verb
By definition, it has not been pasteurized, the simple process of heating milk to kill off harmful bacteria.
—CNN Money, 14 June 2026
But spokespeople for that agency and the state Department of Public Health emphasized that the best way to prevent illness is to drink milk that has been pasteurized.
—Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
Cows produce more colostrum than their calves need, so the excess is collected, pasteurized, dried and packaged for human consumption.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 2 June 2026
Making the powder involves several steps, including milk testing and pasteurization, the separation of curds and whey, draining and pasteurizing the liquid whey, and then sending it to a processing facility to remove more liquid via evaporation and spray drying.
—Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pasteurize
Cite this Entry
“Pasteurize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pasteurize. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pasteurize
verb
pas·teur·ize
ˈpas-chə-ˌrīz
ˈpas-tə-
ˈpas-tə-
pasteurized; pasteurizing
: to expose to pasteurization
pasteurizer
noun
Etymology
Verb
named for Louis Pasteur 1822–1895 French chemist
Medical Definition
pasteurize
transitive verb
pas·teur·ize
variants
also British pasteurise
pasteurized also British pasteurised; pasteurizing also British pasteurising
: to subject to pasteurization
pasteurizer
noun
also British pasteuriser
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