Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “disinfect” come from?

Disinfect comes from Middle French desinfecter, formed with the prefix des- (equivalent to dis-) and the verb infecter.

disinfect (English): To sterilize by the use of cleaning agent

Definitions

  1. To sterilize by the use of cleaning agent

Ancestry of “disinfect”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdesinfecterto disinfect

Words derived from “disinfect”

  • disinfector
  • disinfectable
  • redisinfect
Every word from Middle French desinfecter →