antisepsis

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

antisepsis
    n 1: (of non-living objects) the state of being free of
         pathogenic organisms [syn: {asepsis}, {antisepsis},
         {sterility}, {sterileness}]
    2: the process of inhibiting the growth and multiplication of
       microorganisms [syn: {antisepsis}, {asepsis}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Antisepsis \An`ti*sep"sis\, n. [NL. See {Anti-}; {Sepsis}.]
   Prevention of sepsis by excluding or destroying
   microorganisms.
   [Webster 1913 Suppl.] Antiseptic

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