sterilization

noun5

1. •
   The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.

   • Heat sterilization is used during canning so the food can be safely stored for long periods.
2. •
   The process of permanently rendering a planet like Earth completely uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, leading to their complete extinction.

   • In about 1 billion years, the increasing heat from the Sun as it gradually ages, by triggering a runaway greenhouse effect that will boil away the oceans, will lead to the complete sterilization of all life on Earth.
3. •
   A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing.

   • Spaying a cat is a form of sterilization to limit the population growth.
4. •
   An instance of a sterilization procedure.

   • The vet performed several sterilizations this week.
5. •
   A monetary policy operation used to offset a foreign exchange intervention.

   • The Federal Reserve is responsible for foreign exchange sterilization.