n.
Pronunciation: ˌ an-t ə - ' sep-tik
Function: adjective
Etymology: anti- + Greek s ē ptikos putrefying, septic
Date: 1751
1 a : opposing sepsis, putrefaction, or decay especially : preventing or arresting the growth of microorganisms (as on living tissue) b : acting or protecting like an antiseptic
2 : relating to or characterized by the use of antiseptics
3 a : scrupulously clean : ASEPTIC b : extremely neat or orderly especially : neat to the point of being bare or uninteresting c : free from what is held to be contaminating
4 a : coldly impersonal <an antiseptic greeting> b : of, relating to, or being warfare conducted with cold precision from a safe distance with few or no casualties on one's side < antiseptic bombings>
– an · ti · sep · ti · cal · ly \ -ti-k( ə -)l ē \ adverb