sterile
See also: stérile
English
Etymology
From Middle French stérile, from Latin sterilis (“barren, futile”). See also Ancient Greek στεῖρα (steîra).
Pronunciation
- enPR: stĕrʹəl, stĕrʹīl"
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈstɛɹəl/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈstɛɹaɪl/
Audio (RP): (file)
- Rhymes: -ɛɹəl, -ɛɹaɪl
Adjective
sterile (comparative more sterile, superlative most sterile)
- (not comparable) Unable to reproduce (or procreate).
- 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter V.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC, page 192:
- According to that Cabaliſticall Dogma: If Abram had not had this Letter [i.e., ה (he)] added unto his Name he had remained fruitleſſe, and without the power of generation: […] So that being ſterill before, he received the power of generation from that meaſure and manſion in the Archetype; and was made conformable unto Binah.
- (figurative) Terse; lacking sentiment or emotional stimulation, as in a manner of speaking.
- (figurative) Fruitless, uninspiring, or unproductive.
- Germless; free from all living or viable microorganisms.
- a sterile kitchen table
- Free from dangerous objects, as a zone in an airport that can be only be entered via a security checkpoint.
- (US, military) Of weapons: foreign-made and untraceable to the United States.
- 1980, Russell Warren Howe, Weapons: The International Game of Arms, Money and Diplomacy:
- An early CIA decision was to bring war surplus in Europe to the United States, rather than let it fall into the hands of left-wing movements. Some of the guns would also, it was reasoned, be useful as "sterile" weapons (foreign-made and untraceable to the United States) to be provided secretly to foreign friends.
- 1990, Leroy Thompson, The US Army in Vietnam (page 111)
- In addition to this rapid supply system, the US Army Counterinsurgency Support Office on Okinawa helped procure special equipment including rucksacks, special rations for irregular troops, 'sterile' weapons which could not be traced to the USA and other items not procurable through foreign channels.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
unable to reproduce
|
fruitless, uninspiring, or unproductive
|
germless
|
Anagrams
German
Pronunciation
Audio: (file)
Adjective
sterile
- inflection of steril:
Interlingua
Adjective
sterile (not comparable)
Italian
Etymology
Pronunciation
Adjective
sterile (plural sterili)
- sterile, barren, unprolific, infertile
- sterile, sterilized (medicine)
- vain, pointless
- unproductive
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- sterile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Latin
Adjective
(deprecated template usage) sterile
Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
sterile
Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
sterile
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹəl
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹəl/2 syllables
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹaɪl
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with usage examples
- American English
- en:Military
- German terms with audio links
- German non-lemma forms
- German adjective forms
- Interlingua lemmas
- Interlingua adjectives
- Italian terms derived from Latin
- Italian 3-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/ɛrile
- Rhymes:Italian/ɛrile/3 syllables
- Italian lemmas
- Italian adjectives
- Latin non-lemma forms
- Latin adjective forms
- Norwegian Bokmål non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Bokmål adjective forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk non-lemma forms
- Norwegian Nynorsk adjective forms