sterile

 
Pronunciation: /ˈstɛrʌɪl/

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'. sterile (sense 2) dates from the late 19th century