Main Entry: ster·ile

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

Function: adjective

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

Date: 15th century

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