1. a sealed vessel that uses steam under pressure to sterilize medical instruments, laboratory equipment, or other materials

1. to sterilize something using an autoclave

Examples

• The dental office uses an autoclave to sterilize instruments before each patient.
• Surgical tools must be autoclaved to eliminate all bacteria and viruses.
• The laboratory technician autoclaved the glassware at the end of the day.
• An autoclave operates at high temperature and pressure to ensure complete sterilization.
• Before the procedure, the nurse placed the instruments in the autoclave.
• We need to autoclave these supplies before they can be used in the operating room.