sterilizing

present participle and gerund of sterilize

(British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To deprive of the ability to procreate.
(British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To make unable to produce; to make unprofitable.
(British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To kill, deactivate (denature), or destroy (break apart) all living, viable microorganisms and spores on a surface, in a fluid, or contained in a compound, such as culture media or a medical product.
(British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To render a planet like Earth permanently uninhabitable to all life, including even microbes, causing their complete extinction.
(British, English, Oxford, US, transitive) To redact (a document), removing classified or sensitive material.