English Dictionary
Definition of “sterile”
sterile (ˈstɛraɪl
)
Definitions
adjective
- unable to produce offspring; infertile
- free from living, esp pathogenic, microorganisms; aseptic
- (of plants or their parts) not producing or bearing seeds, fruit, spores, stamens, or pistils
- lacking inspiration or vitality; fruitless
- economics US (of gold) not being used to support credit creation or an increased money supply
Alternative Forms
ˈsterilely adverb sterility (stɛˈrɪlɪtɪ) noun Word Origin
C16: from Latin sterilis
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
bare,
dry,
unproductive,
waste,
empty,
desert,
barren,
desolate,
arid,
infertile,
unfruitful,
Translations
- British English:
sterile
Something that is sterile is completely clean and free of germs....a sterile needle.ˈstɛraɪl ADJECTIVE ...a sterile needle.
- Spanish:
estéril
adj
- French:
stérile
adj
- German:
steril
adj
- Chinese: 贫脊的 adj
- Arabic: عَقِيمُ adj
- Portuguese: estéril adj
- Russian: стерильный adj стерильная
- Croatian: sterilan adj sterilna
- Czech: sterilní adj
- Danish: steril adj
- Dutch: steriel adj
- Finnish: steriili adj
- Greek: στείρος adj στείρα
- Italian: sterile adj
- Japanese: 滅菌した no_posp
- Korean: 균이 없는 adj
- Norwegian: steril adj
- Polish: sterylny adj sterylna
- Brazilian Portuguese: estéril adj
- European Spanish:
estéril
adj
- Swedish: steril adj sterilt
- Thai: ปราศจากเชื้อ adj
- Turkish: steril adj
- Vietnamese: vô trùng adj
Usage examples
Through the glass doors the main reception area looked formidably empty and sterile.
Curzon, Clare, The Quest for K (1986)Last week a team of Russian and French scientists claimed the lake is sterile.
New Scientist (2004)The second sample was boiled in a stainless steel pan until steaming and then poured into a sterile container.
New Zealand Herald (2003)He HAS made Dundee more entertaining than most in the sterile EssPeeEll.
Sun, News of the World (2001)Female animals suffered from repeated miscarriage, while male animals became sterile.
Hunter, Carol, The Vitamin Fact Finder (1987)
