Sanitiser

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A product designed to kill or remove harmful microorganisms from hands or objects to prevent infection
2. A chemical agent intended to clean and disinfect surfaces or skin by eliminating bacteria and viruses
3. A preparation used for sanitizing, which lowers the presence of germs on hands or other items for hygiene purposes

Etymology: The "-iser" spelling is the British variant of a word whose core is a Latin adjective meaning "healthy." "Sanitary" came into English from French "sanitaire," itself drawn from Latin "sanitas," meaning health or soundness. The verb "sanitize" was formed from that root in English, and "sanitiser" is simply that verb with the agent suffix attached, so the thing doing the sanitising is a sanitiser. The suffix does most of the work here. The "-er" ending descends from Latin "-arius," which turned a verb or noun into a person or thing associated with an action, and it passed through Old French and Middle English along the way. That same suffix is in "teacher," "baker," and "dagger" with no particular family resemblance, which is why the ending looks so ordinary: it was attached to English verbs for centuries before "sanitize" arrived.

Synonyms: disinfectant, cleanser