irradiator

8.0

A machine that uses radiation to kill germs on objects or to treat people

noun
/ɪˈreɪdiˌeɪtər/

: irradiador

Radiation therapy rooms often contain an irradiator for safe treatment of cancer patients.
research irradiators

Examples

A major component of the NNSA program is the installation of in-device security kits on blood and research irradiators and radiosurgery devices called gamma knives.

Academic text (2012)
A security camera in the hallway outside the irradiator room was pointed the wrong way, and one of the machines was on wheels.

Academic text (2012)
Irradiators sterilize my clothes.

Everything, Everything (2017)
At another hospital, two 137Cs research irradiators containing 2000 and 6000 curies were housed in a building open to the public.

Academic text (2012)
Produced in nuclear reactors and accelerators, the materials are widely used in hospitals for radiotherapy and in irradiators for both research and treating blood for transfusions.

Academic text (2012)
The medical team used the irradiator to sterilize the surgical instruments before the operation.
In the lab, the irradiator exposed the samples to radiation to ensure they were free from bacteria.

Synonyms

emanator

vsirradiator

Specialized

8.4

A device that gives off radiation or gas

exposes items or people to radiation for sterilization or treatment

How Powerful

particle accelerator

Specialized

11 5.5

radiotherapy equipment

Specialized

4.1

irradiator

8.0

emitter

73 5.6

Surface Forms

irradiator singular

irradiators plural

Morphology

irradiator = irradiate (transparent) = irradiate + or

Formed by adding the agentive suffix '-or' to the verb 'irradiate', so the meaning 'one or something that irradiates' follows standard English derivation.

Etymology

Irradiator comes from the root radi-, meaning 'ray' or 'to shine', as you can see in radiation and radiant. So an irradiator is something that 'shines' rays onto objects or people to treat or sterilize them.