sterile

See also stérile

English

Etymology

From Latin sterilis (“barren, futile”). See also Ancient Greek στεῖρα (steira).

Pronunciation

• enPR: stĕr'əl, stĕr'īl"
• (US) IPA: /ˈstɛɹəl/
• (UK) IPA: /ˈstɛɹaɪl/
• Rhymes: -ɛɹəl, -ɛɹaɪl

Adjective

sterile (comparative more sterile, superlative most sterile)

1. (not comparable) Unable to reproduce (or procreate).
2. Unprofitable.
3. Germless; free from all living or viable microorganisms.

Synonyms

• (unable to procreate): barren, infertile

Translations

unable to reproduce

• Armenian: ամուլ (hy) (amul), չբեր (hy) (čber), ստերջ (hy) (sterǰ)
• Catalan: estèril (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 不孕的 (cmn) (bùyùn-de), 貧瘠的 (cmn), 贫瘠的 (cmn) (pínjí-de), 无菌的 (cmn) (wújūn-de), 不生育的 (cmn) (bù shēngyù-de)

• Czech: neplodný (cs) m
• Dutch: onvruchtbaar (nl), steriel (nl)
• Finnish: steriili (fi)
• French: stérile (fr)

• German: unfruchtbar (de)
• Italian: sterile (it), infertile (it)
• Japanese: 不毛 (ja) (ふもう, fumō), 不妊 (ja) (ふにん, funin)
• Polish: bezpłodny m
• Portuguese: estéril (pt)
• Russian: бесплодный (ru) (besplódnyj)
• Spanish: estéril (es)
• Swedish: steril (sv)
• Vietnamese: vô sinh (vi)

germless

• Catalan: estèril (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 無菌的 (cmn)

• Czech: sterilní (cs)
• Danish: steril (da)

• German: steril (de)
• Greenlandic: bakteriaqanngitsoq (kl)
• Russian: стерильный (ru) (steríl'nyj)
• Spanish: estéril (es)
• Swedish: steril (sv)
• Vietnamese: vô trùng (vi)

Related terms

• sterilisation / sterilization
• sterilise / sterilize
• sterilised / sterilized
• sterility

Anagrams

• leister, retiles

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German

Adjective

sterile

1. strong feminine singular nominative form of steril.
2. strong feminine singular accusative form of steril.
3. strong plural nominative form of steril.
4. strong plural accusative form of steril.
5. weak masculine singular nominative form of steril.
6. weak feminine singular nominative form of steril.
7. weak feminine singular accusative form of steril.
8. weak neuter singular nominative form of steril.
9. weak neuter singular accusative form of steril.
10. mixed feminine singular nominative form of steril.
11. mixed feminine singular accusative form of steril.

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Italian

Adjective

sterile m and f (m and f plural sterili)

1. sterile, barren, unprolific, infertile
2. sterile, sterilized (medicine)
3. vain, pointless
4. unproductive

Related terms

• sterilità
• sterilizzato
• sterilizzazione
• sterilizzare
• sterilire

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Latin

Adjective

sterile

1. nominative neuter singular of sterilis
2. accusative neuter singular of sterilis
3. vocative neuter singular of sterilis