sterile
See also: stérile
English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle French stérile, from Latin sterilis (“barren, futile”). See also Ancient Greek στεῖρα (steîra).
Pronunciation
edit- enPR: stĕrʹīl", stĕrʹəl
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈstɛɹaɪl/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈstɛɹəl/
Audio (US): (file) - Rhymes: -ɛɹaɪl, -ɛɹəl
Adjective
editsterile (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
- Permanently uninhabitable (as in a planet like Earth) to all life, including even microbes.
- 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
editAntonyms
editDerived terms
editRelated terms
editTranslations
editunable to reproduce
|
fruitless, uninspiring, or unproductive
germless
|
Anagrams
editGerman
editPronunciation
editAudio: (file)
Adjective
editsterile
- inflection of steril:
Interlingua
editAdjective
editsterile (not comparable)
Italian
editEtymology
editPronunciation
editAdjective
editsterile (plural sterili)
- sterile, barren, unprolific, infertile
- sterile, sterilized (medicine)
- vain, pointless
- unproductive
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editFurther reading
edit- sterile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Latin
editAdjective
editsterile
Norwegian Bokmål
editAdjective
editsterile
Norwegian Nynorsk
editAdjective
editsterile
Swedish
editAdjective
editsterile
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 pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹaɪl
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹaɪl/2 syllables
- Rhymes:English/ɛɹəl
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- English terms with usage examples
- American English
- en:Military
- German terms with audio pronunciation
- 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
- Swedish non-lemma forms
- Swedish adjective forms