autoclave

1 of 2

noun

au·​to·​clave ˈȯ-tō-ˌklāv How to pronounce autoclave (audio)
: an apparatus in which special conditions (such as high or low pressure or temperature) can be established for a variety of applications
especially : an apparatus (as for sterilizing) using steam under high pressure

autoclave

2 of 2

verb

autoclaved; autoclaving

transitive verb

: to treat in an autoclave

Examples of autoclave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Surgical equipment goes through a two-step process before use: a wash and then a trip through an autoclave, a pressurized steam machine used for sterilization. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 8 June 2023 And now everyone’s running around, preparing the autoclave. Discover Magazine, 19 Nov. 2019 The bricks can also be put through an autoclave—a machine scientists use to sterilize equipment with steam, like a dishwasher that is really not messing around. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 1 July 2014 Some tequila distillers still use them but there are two machines, the autoclave and the diffuser, that can do the job faster. Oj Lima, Bon Appétit, 22 July 2022 The dry fibers are significantly cheaper than the resin pre-impregnated fiber used in other processes and doesn’t require curing in an autoclave. Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 17 June 2022 For the method’s second fermentation that transforms the wine to sparkling in that autoclave, Drusian’s start is around 12° C then onto 14° C for 70 to 90 days. Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 27 May 2022 The office building was locked — just me and the janitors and the whir of the autoclave. New York Times, 26 Apr. 2022 Because their autoclave is roughly the size of a toaster oven, the team ended up with a set of miniature pizzas. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Mar. 2022
Verb
Usually, lab waste plastics are bagged and autoclaved -- an energy- and water-hungry sterilization process -- before being sent to landfill. Alice Bell, CNN, 5 Nov. 2019 That material -- autoclaved aerated concrete, better known as AAC block -- is a porous block that's lightweight and workable, but also has insulating qualities. Sarah Bonnette, NOLA.com, 30 Aug. 2017 And make sure the therapist uses either disposable plastic tools or metal ones that have been autoclaved between each use. Karyn Repinski, Harper's BAZAAR, 23 Feb. 2016 Can the seal on Maddy’s autoclaved world withstand the pressure of such swelling adolescent hormones — not to mention Yoon’s plot requirements? Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 19 May 2017 Can the seal on Maddy’s autoclaved world withstand the pressure of such swelling adolescent hormones, not to mention Yoon’s plot requirements? Michael O’Sullivan, star-telegram.com, 19 May 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'autoclave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, "type of pressure cooker," short for marmite autoclave, probably meant to be understood as "cooking pot that locks itself (by internal pressure)," from auto- auto- + -clave, borrowed from Latin clāvis "key" — more at clavicle

Note: The word was presumably coined by the French politician, educator and inventor Pierre Alexandre Lemare (1766-1835), who filed for a patent (brevet d'invention) on the autoclave in 1820. See Dictionnaire chronologique et raisonné des découvertes, inventions … en France … de 1789 à la fin de 1820, tome premier (Paris, 1822), pp. 485-87.

Verb

derivative of autoclave entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1820, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1911, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of autoclave was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near autoclave

Cite this Entry

“Autoclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autoclave. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

autoclave

noun
au·​to·​clave
ˈȯt-ō-ˌklāv
: a device (as for sterilizing) that uses steam under pressure

Medical Definition

autoclave

1 of 2 noun
au·​to·​clave ˈȯt-ō-ˌklāv How to pronounce autoclave (audio)
: an apparatus (as for sterilizing) using superheated steam under pressure

autoclave

2 of 2 transitive verb
autoclaved; autoclaving
: to treat in an autoclave

More from Merriam-Webster on autoclave

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