Sterilization

Noun

1. The process of treating something to kill or inactivate microorganisms.

   "Heat sterilization is used during canning so the food can be safely stored for long periods."

2. A procedure to permanently prevent an organism from reproducing.

   "Spaying a cat is a form of sterilization to limit the population growth."

3. An instance of a sterilization procedure.

   "The vet performed several sterilizations this week."

4. A monetary policy operation used to offset a foreign exchange intervention.

   "The Federal Reserve is responsible for foreign exchange sterilization."

5. The process of permanently rendering a planet like Earth completely uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, leading to their complete extinction.

   "In about 1 billion years, the increasing heat from the Sun as it gradually ages, by triggering a runaway greenhouse effect that will boil away the oceans, will lead to the complete sterilization of all life on Earth."