disinfect
verb
dis·in·fect
| \ ˌdis-in-ˈfekt
\
\
disinfected;
disinfecting;
disinfects
Definition of disinfect
2
: to remove a software virus (see virus sense 3) from (a computer or device) often by means of a special program
The earliest viruses were relatively simple routines, and virus detectors could easily disinfect computers.— Philips Chien
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Other Words from disinfect
disinfection
\ ˌdis-in-ˈfek-shən
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of disinfect in a Sentence
Chemicals were added to disinfect the water.
The wound needs to be disinfected.
Recent Examples on the Web
Making sure any plantation employees or visitors disinfect boots and tires before entering or leaving the site helps, as will trying to maintain the health of the soil, but no countries have managed to successfully contain TR4. — Matt Reynolds, WIRED, "A Fungus Could Wipe Out the Banana Forever," 19 Aug. 2019 Other steps include washing your hands often or using hand sanitizer, avoiding touching your eyes and mouth, disinfecting surfaces and toys with standard household products, and refraining from coming into close contact with anyone who's sick. — Katie Hunt, CNN, "Sri Lanka is measles-free, World Health Organization says," 10 July 2019 The stalls are disinfected and the contents of the stalls are shoveled out onto the street, Koenen said. — Zekriah Chaudhry, Twin Cities, "State Fair: Getting the animals in and out like a choreographed dance," 25 Aug. 2019 In 1917, American health officials in El Paso, Texas, launched a campaign to use toxic chemicals, including gasoline baths, to disinfect immigrants seeking to enter the United States through the US-Mexico border. — Ranjani Chakraborty, Vox, "The dark history of “gasoline baths” at the border," 29 July 2019 Government officials are considering providing funding to small and medium-size banana exporters to help them implement better biosecurity measures, such as disinfecting machinery, shipping containers, and footwear in quarantined areas. — Sabine Galvis, Science | AAAS, "Colombia confirms that dreaded fungus has hit its banana plantations," 12 Aug. 2019 This tends to happen when people are in splashy water parks, jet-skiing, or irrigating their sinuses with tap water that hasn’t been disinfected, boiled, or filtered. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Brain-eating amoeba kills again—here’s how it kills and how to avoid it," 26 July 2019 Private wells also should be tested and disinfected. — Dallas News, "Sewer overflow dumps into Plano's Cottonwood Creek; well owners urged to boil water," 17 July 2019 For human health, only contact the animal while wearing gloves and be studious in washing skin thoroughly and disinfecting. — oregonlive.com, "Ask an Expert: Get the right planting mix for healthy blueberries," 19 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disinfect.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for disinfect
disinfect
verb
English Language Learners Definition of disinfect
: to clean (something) especially by using a chemical substance that kills all germs and bacteria
computers
: to remove a virus from (a computer) by using a special program
See the full definition for disinfect in the English Language Learners Dictionary
disinfect
verb
dis·in·fect
| \ ˌdi-sᵊn-ˈfekt
\
\
disinfected;
disinfecting
Kids Definition of disinfect
: to cleanse of germs that might cause disease
disinfect
transitive verb
dis·in·fect
| \ ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈfekt
\
\
Medical Definition of disinfect
: to free from infection especially by destroying harmful microorganisms
Other Words from disinfect
disinfection
\ -ˈfek-shən
\
noun
\
noun
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