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sterile
[ ster-ilor, especially British, -ahyl ]
adjective
- free from living germs or microorganisms; aseptic:
Successful operations rely on timely delivery of the sterile surgical instruments needed for each procedure.
- incapable of producing offspring; not producing offspring.
Synonyms: unfruitful, infecund
Antonyms: fertile
- barren; not producing vegetation:
Attempts to cultivate the land have failed because of the sterile soil.
Antonyms: fertile
- Botany.
- noting a plant in which reproductive structures fail to develop.
- bearing no stamens or pistils.
- not productive of results, ideas, etc.; fruitless.
- lacking vitality, vibrancy, interest, etc.:
Art can transform an otherwise sterile office into a happy, inspiring, and comforting space.
sterile
/ ˈstɛraɪl; stɛˈrɪlɪtɪ /
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 (of gold) not being used to support credit creation or an increased money supply
sterile
/ stĕr′əl,stĕr′īl′ /
- Not able to produce offspring, seeds, or fruit; unable to reproduce.
- Free from disease-causing microorganisms.
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Derived Forms
- ˈsterilely, adverb
- sterility, noun
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Other Words From
- ster·ile·ly adverb
- ste·ril·i·ty [st, uh, -, ril, -i-tee], ster·ile·ness noun
- half-ster·ile adjective
- non·ster·ile adjective
- non·ster·ile·ly adverb
- un·ster·ile adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of sterile1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of sterile1
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Example Sentences
In reality,” Francis said, “theatrical severity and sterile pessimism are often symptoms of fear and insecurity.
Koenig has not been a sterile, objective narrator; she has openly voiced her biases, concerns, and gut feelings all along.
“Nonsterile gloves and sterile obstetric and surgical gloves were depleted or absent in all four counties,” the report reads.
Though she portrays the Gulf Coast city as sterile, she also writes about it as a kind of haven.
Birenbaum-Carmeli also points to technology that means even a near-sterile man can now be assisted to impregnate his wife.
The letter was the swift and desperate sequel to several days' absolutely sterile reflection.
Human milk is sterile when secreted, but derives a few bacteria from the lacteal ducts.
Sterile, dissipated and prodigal, she made her husband very unhappy, thus avenging the first Mme. Brunner.
This country was so cold and sterile and unpropitious that winter predominated, and it was difficult to support life.
The country which they passed through was sterile in the extreme, and the expedition proved a failure.
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