1. Sterilization is the process of killing microorganisms i.e bacteria, viruses from a surface, material, body parts etc. to avoid any transmission of diseases.  there are different types of sterilization processes: dry heat, moist heat (steam), EtO (ethyl oxide sterilization).

2. also a surgical  procedure to make a person or animal unable to produce offspring (stops the formation of new offspring) . in females it is called tubectomy (to cut and tie the Fallopian tube to avoid the egg release ) and in males it is called vasectomy ( to cut and tie the vas difference to avoid passing of sperms in the seminal fluid)