Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

sterile

Pronunciation: /ˈstɛrʌɪl/
Translate sterile | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of sterile

adjective

  • 1not able to produce children or young:the disease had made him sterile
  • (of a plant) not able to produce fruit or seeds: the peppermints are vigorous sterile hybrids
  • (of land or soil) too poor in quality to produce crops: vast tracts of sterile desert land
  • lacking in imagination, creativity, or excitement; uninspiring or unproductive:he found the fraternity’s teachings sterile
  • 2free from bacteria or other living microorganisms; totally clean:a sterile needle and syringes

Derivatives

sterilely

adverb

Origin:

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

sterile in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of sterile in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite

More words in this category

Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

cur

/ kəː /
noun
an aggressive or unkempt dog …