We have water that is not drinkable, we boil it for killing the microbes, is this sentence correct “I immunize the water ” or there is an idiom for this action?
4
-
6The word is sterilize. – Peter Shor Apr 15 '14 at 11:34
-
1@PeterShor Also: disinfect. (Technically sterilization implies removal of all life-forms, which boiling doesn't achieve.) – msam Apr 15 '14 at 15:49
7
When you boil it to kill the microbes, you are sterilizing the water through Sterilization.
ster·i·lize [ster-uh-lahyz]
verb (used with object),ster·i·lized, ster·i·liz·ing.
- to destroy microorganisms in or on, usually by bringing to a high temperature with steam, dry heat, or boiling liquid.
- to destroy the ability of (a person or animal) to reproduce by removing the sex organs or inhibiting their functions.
- to make (land) barren or unproductive.
- Informal. to delete or remove anything comprising or damaging from: to sterilize a government document before releasing it to the press.
- Informal. to isolate or completely protect from unwanted, unauthorized, or unwholesome activities, attitudes, influences, etc.: You can't sterilize children against violence.
1
The commonly used term for this is to "purify" the water; other options are: sanitize, disinfect or decontaminate.
-
Welcome to EL&U. As the help center indicates, the best answers provide detailed explanation, with suitable references and links. I would note, for example, that disinfect and decontaminate refer to two different ways to purify; they are not interchangeable. – choster Apr 15 '14 at 19:37
