Capable of killing germs or microorganisms; destructive to disease-causing bacteria and viruses.
From 'germ' (microorganism, from Latin 'germen') + Latin 'caedere' (to kill) + '-al' (relating to). This term developed in the late 19th century as germ theory became accepted and products were designed to kill bacteria.
Germicidal UV lamps used to sanitize hospitals were accidentally discovered when scientists noticed that ultraviolet light damaged bacteria—now they're deployed everywhere from ICUs to water treatment plants, all because of an accidental observation.
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