sterile

From Middle French stérile, from Latin sterilis (“barren, futile”). See also Ancient Greek στεῖρα (steîra).

• enPR: stĕrʹəl, stĕrʹīl"
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈstɛɹəl/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈstɛɹaɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɛɹəl, -ɛɹaɪl

sterile (comparative more sterile, superlative most sterile)

1. (not comparable) Unable to reproduce (or procreate).
   • 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter V.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: Printed for Hen[ry] Brome […], OCLC 48702491; reprinted as Hydriotaphia (The English Replicas), New York, N.Y.: Payson & Clarke Ltd., 1927, OCLC 78413388, page 192:

     According to that Cabaliſticall Dogma: If Abram had not had this Letter [i.e., ה‎ (he)] added unto his Name he had remained fruitleſſe, and without the power of generation: […] So that being ſterill before, he received the power of generation from that meaſure and manſion in the Archetype; and was made conformable unto Binah.

2. (figuratively) Terse; lacking sentiment or emotional stimulation, as in a manner of speaking.
3. (figuratively) Fruitless, uninspiring, or unproductive.
4. Germless; free from all living or viable microorganisms.

   a sterile kitchen table

5. free from dangerous objects, as a zone in an airport that can be only be entered via a security checkpoint

• (unable to procreate): barren, infertile

• non-sterile, nonsterile
• unsterile

• sterilisation / sterilization
• sterilise / sterilize
• sterilised / sterilized
• sterility

• Leister, leister, reliest, retiles, treiles

sterile

1. inflected form of steril

sterile (not comparable)

1. sterile

sterile (masculine and feminine plural sterili)

1. sterile, barren, unprolific, infertile
2. sterile, sterilized (medicine)
3. vain, pointless
4. unproductive

• sterilità
• sterilizzato
• sterilizzazione
• sterilizzare
• sterilire

sterile

1. nominative neuter singular of sterilis
2. accusative neuter singular of sterilis
3. vocative neuter singular of sterilis

sterile

1. definite singular and plural of steril

sterile

1. definite singular and plural of steril