Standard Lemma guide

autoclave

adj · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɔt.əˌkleɪv/
  • /ˈɔt.oʊˌkleɪv/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑt.əˌkleɪv/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈɑt.oʊˌkleɪv/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 T OW0 K L EY2 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Synonym of autokey.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: computing, cryptography, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: autokey

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A strong, pressurized, heated vessel, as for laboratory experiments, sterilization, cooking or mineral processing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: clave

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To sterilize laboratory equipment in an autoclave.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a device for heating substances above their boiling point; used to manufacture chemicals or to sterilize surgical instruments

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sterilizer, steriliser

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: vessel

Narrower terms: digester, pressure cooker

5

verb

Meaning 5

subject to the action of an autoclave

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: sterilize, sterilise

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French autoclave, formed with prefix auto- + Latin clavis (“key”).

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: autoklavë — sterilized heating vessel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 高壓釜 /高压釜 (gāoyāfǔ) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Chinese Mandarin: 滅菌釜 /灭菌釜 (mièjūnfǔ) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Czech: autokláv — sterilized heating vessel
  • Finnish: autoklaavi — sterilized heating vessel
  • French: autoclave — sterilized heating vessel
  • German: Autoklav — sterilized heating vessel
  • Indonesian: autoklaf — sterilized heating vessel
  • Japanese: オートクレーブ (ōtokurēbu) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Kannada: ಆಟೋಕ್ಲೇವ್ (āṭōklēv) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Kazakh: автоклав (avtoklav) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Korean: 오토클레이브 (otokeulleibeu) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Kyrgyz: автоклав (avtoklav) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Macedonian: а́втоклав (ávtoklav) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Malay: autoklaf — sterilized heating vessel
  • Persian: اتوکلاو (otoklâv) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Polish: autoklaw — sterilized heating vessel
  • Russian: автокла́в (avtokláv) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Spanish: autoclave — sterilized heating vessel
  • Swedish: autoklav — sterilized heating vessel
  • Tamil: அழுத்த அனற்கலம் (aḻutta aṉaṟkalam) — sterilized heating vessel
  • Finnish: autoklavoida — sterilize in an autoclave
  • Finnish: autoklaavata — sterilize in an autoclave
  • French: autoclaver — sterilize in an autoclave