STERILE


Meaning of STERILE in English

adj.

Pronunciation: ' ster- ə l, chiefly Brit - ˌ ī (- ə )l

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English steryle, from Latin sterilis; akin to Gothic stairo barren animal, Sanskrit star ī sterile cow

Date: 15th century

1 a : failing to bear or incapable of producing fruit or spores b : failing to produce or incapable of producing offspring <a sterile hybrid> c : incapable of germinating < sterile spores> d of a flower : neither perfect nor pistillate

2 a : unproductive of vegetation <a sterile arid region> b : free from living organisms and especially microorganisms <a sterile syringe> c : lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality : LIFELESS <a sterile work of art>

– ster · ile · ly \ - ə (l)-l ē \ adverb

– ste · ril · i · ty \ st ə - ' ri-l ə -t ē \ noun

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.