STERILE


Meaning of STERILE in English

/ ˈsteraɪl; NAmE ˈsterəl/ adjective

1.

( of humans or animals ) not able to produce children or young animals

SYN infertile

—compare fertile

2.

completely clean and free from bacteria :

sterile bandages

sterile water

3.

( of a discussion, an argument, etc. ) not producing any useful result

SYN fruitless :

a sterile debate

4.

lacking individual personality, imagination or new ideas :

The room felt cold and sterile.

He felt creatively and emotionally sterile.

5.

( of land ) not good enough to produce crops

►  ster·il·ity / stəˈrɪləti; NAmE / noun [ U ]:

The disease can cause sterility in men and women.

the meaningless sterility of statistics

She contemplated the sterility of her existence.

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WORD ORIGIN

late Middle English : from Old French , or from Latin sterilis ; related to Greek steira barren cow. Sense 2 dates from the late 19th cent.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.