pas·teur·ize

[pas-chuh-rahyz, pas-tuh-]
verb (used with object), pas·teur·ized, pas·teur·iz·ing.
to expose (a food, as milk, cheese, yogurt, beer, or wine) to an elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to destroy certain microorganisms, as those that can produce disease or cause spoilage or undesirable fermentation of food, without radically altering taste or quality.
Also, especially British, pas·teur·ise.

Origin:
1880–85; Pasteur + -ize

Related forms
pas·teur·i·za·tion, noun
su·per·pas·teur·ized, adjective
ul·tra·pas·teur·ized, adjective
un·pas·teur·ized, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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a fool or simpleton; ninny.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
pasteurization or pasteurisation (ˌpæstəraɪˈzeɪʃən, -stjə-, ˌpɑː-, ˌpæstəraɪˈzeɪʃən, -stjə-, ˌpɑː-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the process of heating beverages, such as milk, beer, wine, or cider, or solid foods, such as cheese or crab meat, to destroy harmful or undesirable microorganisms or to limit the rate of fermentation by the application of controlled heat
 
pasteurisation or pasteurisation
 
—n

pasteurize or pasteurise (ˈpæstəˌraɪz, -stjə-, ˈpɑː-, ˈpæstəˌraɪz, -stjə-, ˈpɑː-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—vb
1.  to subject (milk, beer, etc) to pasteurization
2.  rare to subject (a patient) to pasteurism
 
pasteurise or pasteurise
 
—vb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

pasteurize
1881, after Louis Pasteur (1822-95), Fr. chemist and bacteriologist, who invented the process of heating food, milk, wine, etc., to kill most of the micro-organisms in it; distinguished from sterilization, which involves killing all of them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

pasteurization pas·teur·i·za·tion (pās'chər-ĭ-zā'shən, pās'tər-)
n.

  1. The process of heating a beverage, such as milk or beer, to a specific temperature for a specific period of time in order to kill microorganisms that could cause disease, spoilage, or undesired fermentation.

  2. The process of destroying most microorganisms in certain foods, such as fish or clam meat, by irradiating them with gamma rays or other radiation to prevent spoilage.

pasteurize pas·teur·ize (pās'chə-rīz', pās'tə-)
v. pas·teur·ized, pas·teur·iz·ing, pas·teur·iz·es
To treat by pasteurization.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
pasteurization   (pās'chər-ĭ-zā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A process in which an unfermented liquid, such as milk, or a partially fermented one, such as beer, is heated to a specific temperature for a certain amount of time in order to kill pathogens that could cause disease, spoilage, or undesired fermentation. During pasteurization, the liquid is not allowed to reach its boiling point so as to avoid changing its molecular structure.

  2. The process of destroying most pathogens in certain foods, such as fish or clams, by irradiating them with gamma rays or other radiation to prevent spoilage. See Note at Pasteur.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
pasteurization [(pas-chuhr-i-zay-shuhn, pas-tuhr-i-zay-shuhn)]

Heating a fluid, such as milk, for a specific period to kill harmful bacteria. This technique was developed by Louis Pasteur.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Specifically, you asked what the pasteurization requirements are for producing
  ice cream in a truck.
Experts believe the food supply is safer than in the days before pasteurization
  and refrigeration, but new dangers have emerged.
Pasteurization kills bacteria in apple juice and cider, but it changes their
  flavor.
All pasteurization processes need to be validated and verified to ensure
  critical processing limits are achieved.
Related Words
pasteurize process
process
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