sterile

sterile
[[t]ste̱raɪl, AM -rəl[/t]]
1) ADJ: usu ADJ n Something that is sterile is completely clean and free from germs.

He always made sure that any cuts were protected by sterile dressings...

Urine is sterile.

Derived words:
sterility [[t]stərɪ̱lɪti[/t]] N-UNCOUNT

...the antiseptic sterility of the hospital.

2) ADJ A person or animal that is sterile is unable to have or produce babies.

George was sterile.

...a sterile male.

Derived words:
sterility N-UNCOUNT

This disease causes sterility in both males and females.

3) ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n (disapproval) A sterile situation is lacking in energy and new ideas.

Too much time has been wasted in sterile debate.

Derived words:
sterility N-UNCOUNT

...the sterility of Dorothea's life in industry.


English dictionary. 2008.

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Synonyms:

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  • stérile — [ steril ] adj. • 1370; lat. sterilis I ♦ 1 ♦ Inapte à la génération, à la reproduction par défaut de production de spermatozoïdes (chez l homme) ou d ovules (chez la femme) ou par suite de circonstances s opposant à la fécondation. ⇒ infécond ;… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • sterile — sterile, barren, impotent, unfruitful, infertile mean not having or not manifesting the power to produce offspring or to bear literal or figurative fruit. Sterile, opposed to fertile, in its basic application to living things implies an inability …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • sterile — adj. de tout genre. Qui ne porte point de fruit, quoy qu il soit de nature à en porter. Champ sterile. terre sterile. arbre sterile. On dit, qu Une femme est sterile, pour dire, qu Elle n est point capable d avoir des enfans. On appelle, Année… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Sterile — Ster ile, a. [F. st[ e]rile, L. sterilis, akin to Gr. stereo s stiff, solid, stei^ros barren, stei^ra a cow that has not calved, Goth. stair[=o], fem., barren. See {Stare} to gaze.] 1. Producing little or no crop; barren; unfruitful;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sterile — Stérile Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Stérile signifie soit sans vie, soit sans possibilité de la donner. Stérile Désinfecté: Médicalement, un milieu stérile est un milieu désinfecté,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sterile — [ster′əl; ] Brit & Cdn, usually [, ster′īl΄] adj. [L sterilis < IE * ster , barren (> Gr steira, barren, OE stierc, calf), special use of base * ster , stiff, rigid > STARE] 1. incapable of producing others of its kind; barren 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • sterile — early 15c., 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, sol …   Etymology dictionary

  • sterile — Sterile, Sterilis, Infoecundus. Terre sterile, Terra ieiuna. Devenir sterile, Sterilescere …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • sterile — sterile. См. стерильный. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • sterile — index barren, ineffective, ineffectual, otiose, unproductive Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • sterile — / stɛrile/ agg. [dal lat. sterĭlis ]. 1. (biol.) [di individuo umano o animale, che non è in grado di generare o di concepire: un cavallo, una coppia s. ; diventare s., rendere s. ] ▶◀ infecondo. ◀▶ fecondo, fertile, prolifico. 2. (bot.) [di… …   Enciclopedia Italiana

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