autoclave

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: au=to=clave

CIDE DICTIONARY

autoclave, n. [F., fr. Gr. a'yto`s self + L. clavis key.].

•  A kind of French stewpan with a steam-tight lid.  Knight.  [1913 Webster]
•  a device used for sterilizing objects by exposing them to steam at above atmospheric pressure (and thus at a temperature above the normal boiling point of water). It consists of a closed chamber able to withstand internal pressure, and a means of passing superheated steam into the chamber. Autoclaves are made in various sizes, and are much used in hospitals and research laboratories to render instruments and equipment sterile.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

autoclave, n.
1 a strong vessel used for chemical reactions at high pressures and temperatures.
2 a sterilizer using high-pressure steam.

Etymology

AUTO- + L clavus nail or clavis key