🇮🇹Italian Source WordCode: IT

sterile

Pronunciation / Transliteration: ste-ree-leh

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Sterile/ˈstɛr.aɪl/
adjectiveCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #1500 frequency
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🇮🇹 Example Sentence in Italian:

"Gli strumenti chirurgici devono essere sterili per prevenire infezioni."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Free from bacteria or other living microorganisms.

    "The surgical instruments must be sterile to prevent infection."
  2. 2

    Incapable of producing offspring; barren.

    "The once fertile land had become sterile due to years of drought."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word 'sterile' originates from the Latin 'sterilis', meaning 'barren' or 'unproductive'. It evolved through Middle English, where it retained the meaning of being unable to produce offspring or growth, extending into modern usage to describe environments free from bacteria or pathogens.

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