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Definition of sterile
1a : failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or sporesb : failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring a sterile hybridc : incapable of germinating sterile sporesd of a flower : neither perfect nor pistillate
2a : unproductive of vegetation a sterile arid regionb : free from living organisms and especially pathogenic microorganisms a sterile syringec : lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : lifeless a sterile work of art
From the M-W Editors
Examples of sterile in a Sentence
a sterile dressing for a wound
sterile couples sometimes choose to adopt needy children
Recent Examples of sterile from the Web
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Germaphobia is rank in the sterile, continuously vacuumed environments of corporate America.
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But most tests rely on antibodies that bind fungal proteins or reading nucleic acids to identify fungi by their genes, thus requiring sterile labs and refrigerated reagents that doctors and farmers in developing countries often don’t have access to.
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No waiting period is required if the tattoo was applied in a state that requires tattoo shops to use sterile needles and single-use ink.
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What Melissa didn't know, is that police had gotten an anonymous tip that Scott was sterile.
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Plastic barriers divide the areas, and the entire process is sterile: The insect handlers usually wear gloves and sometimes even clean suits.
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Meanwhile, sterile paper and ink filled my grownup work days.
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This is an opportunity to take drug abuse off the streets and put it into a safe and sterile environment.
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The Scene: The Handmaid’s Tale Season 1, Episode 3: Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) wakes up in a sterile hospital setting, dressed in white.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sterile'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of sterile
Middle English steryle, from Latin sterilis; akin to Goth stairo barren animal, Sanskrit starī sterile cow
Other Microbiology Terms
STERILE Defined for English Language Learners
sterile
playDefinition of sterile for English Language Learners
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: not able to produce crops or plants
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: not able to produce children, young animals, etc.
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: not able to grow or develop
STERILE Defined for Kids
sterile
playDefinition of sterile for Students
1 : not able to produce fruit, crops, or offspring : not fertile sterile soil
2 : free from living germs a sterile bandage
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of sterile
1: failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring a sterile hybrid—compare infertile
2: free from living organisms and especially microorganisms a sterile syringe a sterile cyst
Learn More about sterile
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See words that rhyme with sterile Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for sterile Spanish Central: Translation of sterile Nglish: Translation of sterile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of sterile for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sterile
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