Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Capable of preventing infection by inhibiting the growth of infectious agents.
  • adjective Devoid of infectious agents.
  • adjective Of or associated with the use of antiseptics.
  • adjective Devoid of enlivening or enriching qualities.
  • adjective Free of disturbing or unpleasant features; sanitized.
  • noun A substance that prevents infection by inhibiting the growth of infectious agents.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to antisepsis; inimical to the growth and activity of the micro-organisms of disease, putrefaction, or fermentation.
  • noun Anything which destroys the microorganisms of disease, putrefaction, or fermentation, or which restricts their growth and multiplication.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun a substance which kills or retards the growth of microorganisms, especially when used for protection against infection; a substance which prevents or retards putrefaction, or destroys, or protects from, putrefactive organisms; as, carbolic acid, alcohol, cinchona, and many other agents sold commercially.
  • adjective Counteracting or preventing putrefaction, or a putrescent tendency in the system; antiputrefactive.
  • adjective that system of surgical practice which insists upon a systematic use of antiseptics in the performance of operations and the dressing of wounds.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Of, or relating to antisepsis, or the use of antiseptics.
  • adjective Capable of preventing microbial infection.
  • adjective Very clean; aseptic.
  • adjective Free of unpleasantness; sanitized or bowdlerized.
  • noun Any substance that inhibits the growth and reproduction of microorganisms. Generally includes only those that are used on living objects (as opposed to disinfectants) and aren't transported by the lymphatic system to destroy bacteria in the body (as opposed to antibiotics).

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective thoroughly clean and free of or destructive to disease-causing organisms
  • adjective devoid of objectionable language
  • adjective freeing from error or corruption
  • adjective clean and honest
  • noun a substance that destroys micro-organisms that carry disease without harming body tissues

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

anti- +‎ septic

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