sterile

ster·ile

adj
\ˈster-əl, chiefly British -ˌī(-ə)l\

Definition of STERILE

1

a : failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or spores b : failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring <a sterile hybrid> c : incapable of germinating <sterile spores> d of a flower : neither perfect nor pistillate

2

a : unproductive of vegetation <a sterile arid region> b : free from living organisms and especially microorganisms <a sterile syringe> c : lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : lifeless <a sterile work of art>

— ster·ile·ly \-ə(l)-lē\ adverb

— ste·ril·i·ty \stə-ˈri-lə-tē\ noun

Examples of STERILE

1. a sterile dressing for a wound
2. <sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children>

Origin of STERILE

Middle English steryle, from Latin sterilis; akin to Gothic stairo barren animal, Sanskrit starī sterile cow

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to STERILE

Synonyms: barren, fruitless, impotent, infertile, unfruitful

Antonyms: fat, fertile, fruitful

Related Words: altered, desexed, neutered, sterilized; castrated, emasculated, gelded; spayed; unproductive

Near Antonyms: fecund, luxuriant, productive, prolific; enriched, fertilized, rich; impregnated, pregnant; potent; bearing, producing, yielding; blooming, bursting, flourishing, swarming, teeming

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Microbiology Terms

pathogen, salmonella, tetanus

Rhymes with STERILE

beryl, feral, ferrule, ferule, Merrill, peril