disinfecting

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•in•fect /ˌdɪsɪnˈfɛkt/   v. [~ + object]

1. to cleanse of infection;
   destroy disease germs in:
   to disinfect a wound.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

dis•in•fect  (dis′in fekt′), v.t. 

1. to cleanse (rooms, wounds, clothing, etc.) of infection;
   destroy disease germs in.

• Middle French desinfecter, equivalent. to des- dis-¹ + infecter to infect
• 1590–1600

dis′in•fec′tion, n. 
dis′in•fec′tive, adj. 
dis′in•fec′tor, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

disinfect / ˌdɪsɪnˈfɛkt/ verb

1. (transitive) to rid of microorganisms potentially harmful to humans, esp by chemical means

ˌdisinˈfection noun