Aseptic
adjective
- Aimed at preventing contamination or reducing infection from microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, etc.
- Without contamination
- Lacking in exuberance, affection, feeling, or spirit
noun
- A product that has been specially packaged and sealed so as to maintain both its freshness and sterility for an extended period of time
Usage
The word aseptic generally means clean. However, it is much more precise than that. To be aseptic is to be completely and excessively clean to the extent of being free from microscopic organisms, and preventing any potential infections. Given the omnipotence of germs, it perhaps might be an exaggeration for most individuals to refer to themselves or their surroundings being completely aseptic. Hence, this term is found in contexts primarily relating to health and medicine, and would be more appropriate in describing a hospital room or a piece of technical equipment after thorough sterilization.
Alternatively, aseptic can also be used in a figurative manner in describing someone or something's level of emotion, vibrancy, and energy. To refer to a book as aseptic is equivalent to calling it extremely dull with prosaic vocabulary, static characters, and a barren and predictable plot with no surprises. Meanwhile, one might refer to a person as aseptic if they are aloof, express little emotion, and are frankly boring and uninteresting. They are absent from the room they are in, just like microorganisms are absent from an aseptic environment.
Finally, aseptic can be used as a noun referring to a product that has been packaged in such a way that eliminates the need for preservatives and refrigeration while simultaneously increasing its shelf-life such as milk and eggs. The process itself is known as "aseptic food preservation" or just "aseptic processing" which ultimately results in the production of aseptics.
Example: In order to ensure an aseptic level of cleanliness, the surgeon washed his hands for several minutes prior to the operation.
Example: After the chemical leak at the laboratory, the hazmat team thoroughly sterilized the building to an aseptic state.
Example: Gina's inability to smile or express any emotion exemplifies her aseptic personality.
Example: After years of research, scientists have successfully discovered a new method designed to enhance and refine the production of aseptics.
Origin
Aseptic derives from a the Greek prefix "a" meaning "without," "against," or "absence of" and the root "septic" which refers to sepsis, a dangerous illness when the body releases chemicals to fight infection that instead causes further medical complication (colloquially, known as "blood poisoning.") The root derives from the Latin sēpticus which further stems from the Greek sēptikós which also means "putrefying."
Derivative Words
Aseptically:
Example: After the patient departed, the hospital staff aseptically sanitized the room to prevent the spreading of any germs.
Example: Laura could only smile briefly and aseptically at me as she attempted to mask her sadness and emotional pain from the accident.
Asepsis: Asepsis refers to the condition of being free from germs or dangerous microorganisms.
Example: The hygienist took great care to clean all the equipment before working on the patient in order to maintain the asepsis of the dental procedure.
Similar Words
Antiseptic is a closely related word and may possibly cause confusion due to its similarity to aseptic. There is great overlap in meaning and they are often used synonymously. However, analysis of their prefixes provides insight into their distinctiveness. The prefix "a" signifies being without something, while "anti" means being against something. In which case, aseptic would refer to that which is without "sepsis" (or germs) while antiseptic would literally refer to something that is against them instead. Therefore, one would refer to a rigorously cleaned surgical room as being aseptic, while describing an antibacterial spray as being antiseptic. However, antiseptic tends to be used in both regards and tends to be more prevalent than aseptic.
In Literature
From H.L. Russell's Outlines of dairy bacteriology:
The main problem in the use of a milking machine is to keep the apparatus in an aseptic condition.
Here, aseptic is used to describe the desired condition of the milking machine, i.e. a sterile and extremely clean state.
From The Autobiography of Malcolm X:
I was served coffee but became uneasy in this aseptic, silent atmosphere as time passed.
In this passage in the introduction to Malcolm's autobiography, aseptic is used to describe the austere, uneventful, and monotonous ambiance that the writer finds himself immersed in before his first meeting with Malcolm X.
Mnemonic
- Maintaining life-long aseptic dental hygiene would be pretty epic!
- Don't be dreary and aseptic, be fun and energetic!
Tags
Hygiene, Medicine, Surgery, Bacteria, Germs, Sanitation, Food, Processing, Packaging
Bring out the linguist in you! What is your own interpretation of aseptic. Did you use aseptic in a game? Provide an example sentence or a literary quote.