sanitizer

noun

san·​i·​tiz·​er ˈsa-nə-ˌtī-zər 

plural sanitizers

: a substance or product that is used to reduce or eliminate pathogenic agents (such as bacteria) on surfaces

Sales of alcohol-based hand sanitizers were up nearly 17% as of the first week of September compared to the same period last year …

—Laura Landro

"Carvacrol could potentially be used as a food sanitizer … particularly in conjunction with other antimicrobials," says Kelly Bright, associate research scientist in the department of soil, water, and environmental science at the University of Arizona.

—Daniel Stolt

also : a device used in sanitizing

This ozone-generating sanitizer looks like a miniature tanning bed for your manual toothbrush—and it emits ultraviolet light (UV) to kill 99.9 percent of brush germs.

—Malinda Govoni

Among the equipment that impressed him: … A wall-mounted food sanitizer that diverts water from the sink tap and charges it with ozone before dispensing it through the aerator for produce cleaning.

—Howard Riell

Examples of sanitizer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The reason hand sanitizer can’t kill the bug is because the virus does not have an outer coating. —Discover Magazine, 7 Feb. 2025

When handwashing isn’t possible, sanitizer becomes key, especially in germy environments. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 6 Feb. 2025

There’s even a secure zipper pocket to store extras in, like snacks, hand sanitizer, or comfy flip-flops. —Olivia Bria, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2025

The meat food service area lacked a splash guard between the sanitizer section of the warewash sink — where cookware gets washed — and the meat-cutting prep table. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sanitizer

• advertiser
• analyser
• analyzer
• appetizer
• atomizer
• breathalyzer
• colonizer
• crystallizer
• digitizer
• equalizer
• fertilizer
• localizer