11 results for: sterile

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

ster·ile

Audio Help [ster-il or, especially Brit., -ahyl] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	free from living germs or microorganisms; aseptic: sterile surgical instruments.

2.	incapable of producing offspring; not producing offspring.

3.	barren; not producing vegetation: sterile soil.

Botany.

a.	noting a plant in which reproductive structures fail to develop.

b.	bearing no stamens or pistils.

5.	not productive of results, ideas, etc.; fruitless.

[Origin: 1545–55; < L sterilis unfruitful

]

—Related forms

ster·ile·ly, adverb

ste·ril·i·ty

Audio Help [stuh-ril-i-tee] Pronunciation Key, ster·ile·ness, noun

—Synonyms 2. infecund, unfruitful.

—Antonyms 2, 3. fertile.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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sterile

To learn more about sterile visit Britannica.com

Sterilization
Removing - Reducing bacteria with gamma rays also on pallets
www.gammarad.it

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ster·ile Audio Help (stěr'əl, -īl') Pronunciation Key
adj.

Not producing or incapable of producing offspring.
1. Not producing or incapable of producing seed, fruit spores, or other reproductive structures. Used of plants or their parts.
2. Producing little or no vegetation; unfruitful: sterile land.
Free from live bacteria or other microorganisms: a sterile operating area; sterile instruments.
Lacking imagination, creativity, or vitality.
Lacking the power to function; not productive or effective; fruitless: a sterile discussion.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin sterilis.]

ster'ile·ly adv., ster'ile·ness, ste·ril'i·ty (stə-rĭl'ĭ-tē) n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
sterile

1426, "barren" (implied in sterility), from M.Fr. stérile "not producing fruit," from L. sterilis "barren, unproductive," from PIE *ster- "sterile, barren" originally "stiff, rigid" (cf. Gk. steresthai "be deprived of," steira "sterile," stereos "firm, solid, stiff, hard;" Skt. starih "a barren cow;" O.C.S. sterica "a barren cow;" Goth. stairo "barren;" O.N. stirtla "a barren cow"). See torpor. Originally in Eng. with ref. to soil; of females, from 1535. The sense of "sterilized" is first recorded 1877. Sterilize "destroy the fertility of" is from 1695 (in ref. to soil); of living things from 1828. Meaning "render free of microorganisms" is from 1878. Sterilization is from 1874.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

sterile
adjective
1.	incapable of reproducing; "an infertile couple" [ant: fertile]
2.	free of or using methods to keep free of pathological microorganisms; "a sterile operating area"; "aseptic surgical instruments"; "aseptic surgical techniques" [syn: aseptic]
3.	deficient in originality or creativity; lacking powers of invention; "a sterile ideology lacking in originality"; "unimaginative development of a musical theme"; "uninspired writing"

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source - Share This
sterile1 [ˈsterail] adjective

(of soil, plants, humans and other animals) unable to produce crops, seeds, children or young

Arabic:	غَيْر مُثْمِر
Chinese (Simplified):	不生育的，不结果的
Chinese (Traditional):	不生育的，不結果的
Czech:	neplodný
Danish:	steril; ufrugtbar
Dutch:	steriel
Estonian:	viljatu, aher
Finnish:	steriili, hedelmätön
French:	stérile
German:	unfruchtbar
Greek:	στείρος, άγονος, άκαρπος
Hungarian:	meddő
Icelandic:	ófrjósamur, ófrjór
Indonesian:	gersang
Italian:	sterile

Japanese:	不妊の
Korean:	불모의; 불임의
Latvian:	neauglīgs
Lithuanian:	nevaisingas, bergždžias
Norwegian:	steril, ufruktbar
Polish:	bezpłodny
Portuguese (Brazil):	estéril
Portuguese (Portugal):	estéril
Romanian:	steril
Russian:	бесплодный
Slovak:	neplodný
Slovenian:	neploden
Swedish:	steril
Turkish:	kısır

sterile2 [ˈsterail] adjective

free from germs
Example: A surgeon's equipment must be absolutely sterile.

Arabic:	مُعَقَّم
Chinese (Simplified):	无菌的
Chinese (Traditional):	無菌的
Czech:	sterilní
Danish:	steril
Dutch:	steriel
Estonian:	steriilne
Finnish:	steriili
French:	stérile
German:	steril
Greek:	αποστειρωμένος
Hungarian:	steril
Icelandic:	dauðhreinsaður
Indonesian:	suci hama
Italian:	sterile

Japanese:	無菌の
Korean:	균이 없는, 살균한
Latvian:	sterils
Lithuanian:	sterilus
Norwegian:	steril
Polish:	wyjałowiony
Portuguese (Brazil):	estéril
Portuguese (Portugal):	estéril
Romanian:	steril
Russian:	стерильный
Slovak:	sterilný
Slovenian:	sterilen
Swedish:	steril
Turkish:	mikropsuz

See also: sterilize, sterilise

The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

sterile Audio Help (stěr'əl, stěr'īl') Pronunciation Key

Not able to produce offspring, seeds, or fruit; unable to reproduce.
Free from disease-causing microorganisms.

sterility noun (stə-rĭl'ĭ-tē)

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

ster·ile (strl, -l)
adj.

Not producing or incapable of producing offspring.
Free from all live bacteria or other microorganisms and their spores.

sterile·ness or ste·rili·ty (st

-r

-t

) n.

Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Main Entry: ster·ile
Pronunciation: 'ster-&l, chiefly Brit -"Il
Function: adjective
1 : failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring <a sterile hybrid> —compare INFERTILE
2 : free from living organisms and especially microorganisms <a sterile cyst> —ster·ile·ly /-&l-(l)E/ adverb —ste·ril·i·ty /st&-'ril-&t-E/ noun plural -ties

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Sterile

Stare\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. stared; p. pr. & vb. n. staring.] [AS. starian; akin to LG. & D. staren, OHG. star[=e]n, G. starren, Icel. stara; cf. Icel. stira, Dan. stirre, Sw. stirra, and G. starr stiff, rigid, fixed, Gr. ? solid (E. stereo-), Skr. sthira firm, strong. [root]166. Cf. Sterile.]

1. To look with fixed eyes wide open, as through fear, wonder, surprise, impudence, etc.; to fasten an earnest and prolonged gaze on some object.

For ever upon the ground I see thee stare. --Chaucer.

Look not big, nor stamp, nor stare, nor fret. --Shak.

2. To be very conspicuous on account of size, prominence, color, or brilliancy; as, staring windows or colors.

3. To stand out; to project; to bristle. [Obs.]

Makest my blood cold, and my hair to stare. --Shak.

Take off all the staring straws and jags in the hive. --Mortimer.

Syn: To gaze; to look earnestly. See Gaze.

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