an·ti·sep·tic  ( ăn ′t ĭ-s ĕp t ĭk)
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adj.1. a. Capable of preventing infection by inhibiting the growth of infectious agents. b. Devoid of infectious agents; aseptic. c. Of or associated with the use of antiseptics. 2. a. Devoid of enlivening or enriching qualities: "This is ... not at all lighthearted or amiable music. In fact, the tone is unremittingly sober and antiseptic" (Donal Henahan). b. Free of disturbing or unpleasant features; sanitized: an antiseptic version of history. n. A substance that prevents infection by inhibiting the growth of infectious agents.
an′ti·septi·cal·ly adv. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
Indo-European Roots
Semitic Roots
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.
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