sterile
ster·ile (ster′əl; Brit & Cdn, usually, -īl′)
adjective
- incapable of producing others of its kind; barren
- producing little or nothing; unfruitful sterile soil, a sterile policy
- lacking in interest or vitality; not stimulating or effective a sterile style
- free from living microorganisms; esp., aseptic
- Bot.
- unable or failing to bear fruit or spores, as a plant, or to germinate, as a seed
- having stamens only, as a male flower, or having neither pistils nor stamens
Etymology: L sterilis < IE *ster-, barren (> Gr steira, barren, OE stierc, calf), special use of base *ster-, stiff, rigid > stare
sterile
modif.
Incapable of producing young
infertile, impotent, childless, infecund, barren, issueless, without issue. Antonyms
fertile*, productive*, potent. * Incapable of producing vegetation
desolate, fallow, waste, desert, arid, dry, barren, unproductive, fruitless, unfruitful, bleak, gaunt; see also empty 1.Antonyms
rich*, productive*, fertile. * Scrupulously clean
antiseptic, septic, sterilized, disinfected, decontaminated, germ-free, sterilized, uninfected, sanitary, hygienic, pasteurized; see also pure 2.Antonyms
dirty*, infected, contaminated. Without intellectual interest
uninspiring, stupid, stale; see dull 4, shallow 2.Unprofitable
fruitless, profitless, unproductive; see worthless 1, useless 1.
sterile and infertile imply incapability of producing offspring or fruit, as because of some disorder of the reproductive system; barren and unfruitful are specifically applied to a sterile woman or to plants or soil; impotent is specif. applied to a man who cannot engage in sexual intercourse, especially because of an inability to have an erection. All of these words have figurative uses sterile thinking, an infertile mind, a barren victory, unfruitful efforts, impotent rage
Adjective complement with noun phrase
- render: These technologies either render crops sterile or control their genetic traits via chemicals.
- keep: When you use one you should try to keep the catheter tip sterile and some departments like you to wear a sterile glove.
- make: The style or presentation is also being revised to hopefully make the standards less sterile, or putting it plainly - boring.
Modifies a noun
- saline: They concluded that sterile saline should be replaced by tap water for the cleaning of acute soft tissue wounds.
- gauze: Clean with a mild soap and water, dry carefully, then cover with sterile gauze.
- floret: The relatively few double sterile florets on long pedicels surround central cluster of fertile flowers, rather suggestive of a starburst.
- dressing: There's everything from plasters and ice packs to bandages & sterile dressings.
- needle: They will then use several very fine sterile needles.
- drape: A local sterile field must be created using sterile drapes.
Modifying Another Word
- archeologically: This sealed several archeologically sterile layers of coarse angular sands alternating with fine organic rich silts, possibly turf lines.
- rather: But again high eighteenth-century oligarchical politics, Walpole and after, was rather sterile: factions rather than parties.
- completely: The soil either side of the drainage system [ 400 ] appears to be completely sterile; no artifacts or ephemeral deposits were noticed.
- increasingly: In an increasingly sterile world people seem to be reluctant to take risks.
- totally: The glass is then given a final rinse with the water fed poles to leave the glass totally sterile.
- normally: Bacteriuria: the presence of bacteria in the urine ( normally sterile ); not contaminants from the skin, vagina, or prepuce.
Used with adjective complement
- render: The trade union of a sect renders sterile those tempted by it.
- remain: The poisonous residues destroyed the environment so badly that even today certain places in the valley remain sterile.
- seem: Even the landscapes within which we play seemed sterile, for all the minutiae of the graphics.
- become: Most of Africa's soil is in danger of becoming sterile.
- keep: Ideal for use where hands need to be kept sterile.
O splendid and sterile Dolores, Our Lady of Pain.
Les ve¤ rite¤ s de¤ couvertes par l'intelligence demeurent ste¤ riles. Truths discovered by intelligence are sterile.
Browse dictionary entries near sterile
- sterilant
- sterically
- steric hindrance
- steric
- stereotypy
- stereotypist
- stereotyping
- stereotypical
- stereotypic
- stereotyper
- sterilise
- sterility
- sterilization
- sterilize
- sterilized
- sterilizer
- sterilizing
- sterlet
- sterling
- sterling area
