sterile: Meaning and Definition of

ster•ile

Pronunciation: (ster'il or, esp. Brit., -īl), [key]
— adj.
  1. free from living germs or microorganisms; aseptic: sterile surgical instruments.
  2. incapable of producing offspring; not producing offspring.
  3. barren; not producing vegetation: sterile soil.
    1. noting a plant in which reproductive structures fail to develop.
    2. bearing no stamens or pistils.
  4. not productive of results, ideas, etc.; fruitless.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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