autoclave
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
au·to·clave
(ô′tō-klāv′)n.
A strong, pressurized, steam-heated vessel, as for laboratory experiments, sterilization, or cooking.
[French : Greek auto-, auto- + Latin clāvis, key (from the fact that it is self-locking from the pressurization).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
autoclave
(ˈɔːtəˌkleɪv)n
1. (Chemistry) a strong sealed vessel used for chemical reactions at high pressure
2. (Medicine) an apparatus for sterilizing objects (esp surgical instruments) or for cooking by means of steam under pressure
3. (Cookery) an apparatus for sterilizing objects (esp surgical instruments) or for cooking by means of steam under pressure
4. (Civil Engineering) civil engineering a vessel in which freshly cast concrete or sand-lime bricks are cured very rapidly in high-pressure steam
vb
(tr) to put in or subject to the action of an autoclave
[C19: from French auto- + -clave, from Latin clāvis key]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
au•to•clave
(ˈɔ təˌkleɪv)n., v. -claved, -clav•ing. n.
1. a heavy vessel for sterilizing or cooking by means of steam under pressure.
2. a heavy vessel for conducting chemical reactions under high pressure.
v.t. 3. to place in an autoclave.
[1875–80; < French, =auto- auto-1 + clave < Latin clāv-, s. of clāvis key and clāvus nail]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
autoclave
Past participle: autoclaved
Gerund: autoclaving
| Imperative |
|---|
| autoclave |
| autoclave |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  autoclave - a device for heating substances above their boiling point; used to manufacture chemicals or to sterilize surgical instrumentsdigester - autoclave consisting of a vessel in which plant or animal materials are digested pressure cooker - autoclave for cooking at temperatures above the boiling point of water vessel - an object used as a container (especially for liquids) |
| Verb | 1. | autoclave - subject to the action of an autoclave |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
autoclave
n autoclave fEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.