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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Half the agave is slow-cooked in brick ovens, and the other half in autoclaves. — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026 The structure was then frozen with liquid resin and later activated with heat—requiring no large autoclaves or ovens. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Nov. 2025
Verb
Even waste products that come from the person are autoclaved. — Philip Wang, Time, 11 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for autoclave

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

Rhymes for autoclave

See All Rhymes for autoclave

Browse Nearby Words

autoclastic
autoclave
autoclave cipher
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Autoclave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autoclave. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about autoclave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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