different between sterilize vs sterile

English

Alternative forms

• sterilise (UK)

Etymology

sterile +? -ize

Verb

sterilize (third-person singular simple present sterilizes, present participle sterilizing, simple past and past participle sterilized)

1. (transitive) To deprive of the ability to procreate.
2. (transitive) To make unable to produce; to make unprofitable.
3. (transitive, biology) To kill, deactivate (denature), or destroy (break apart) all living, viable microorganisms and spores on a surface, in a fluid, or contained in a compound, such as culture media or a medical product.
4. (transitive) To redact (a document), removing classified or sensitive material.
   • 1974, Miles Copeland, Without cloak or dagger: the truth about the new espionage (page 141)

     […] (minus, of course, any information that might identify the agent and other operational personnel), or he might code it or "sterilize" it, and reward the foreign station chief in some other way.

   • 2014, Evanthis Hatzivassiliou, NATO and Western Perceptions of the Soviet Bloc (page 2)

     The same phenomenon is also detectable in the records of the meetings of NATO committees: the priority of avoiding any manifestation of internal disagreements led to the production of 'sterilized' records of discussions which evidently were significantly more lively than shown in the official papers.

Related terms

• sterile
• sterilization

Translations

See also

• birth control
• castrate
• castrato
• eunuch
• procreate
• procreation
• spay

References

• sterilize in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Further reading

• Wikipedia article on sterilization

Anagrams

• Listerize

English

Etymology

From Middle French stérile, from Latin sterilis (“barren, futile”). See also Ancient Greek ?????? (steîra).

Pronunciation

• enPR: st?r??l, st?r??l"
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?st???l/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?st??a?l/
• Rhymes: -???l, -??a?l

Adjective

sterile (comparative more sterile, superlative most sterile)

1. (not comparable) Unable to reproduce (or procreate).
2. (figuratively) Terse; lacking sentiment or emotional stimulation, as in a manner of speaking.
3. (figuratively) Fruitless, uninspiring, or unproductive.
4. Germless; free from all living or viable microorganisms.

5. Free from dangerous objects, as a zone in an airport that can be only be entered via a security checkpoint.
6. (US, military) Of weapons: foreign-made and untraceable to the United States.
   • 1990, Leroy Thompson, The US Army in Vietnam (page 111)

     In addition to this rapid supply system, the US Army Counterinsurgency Support Office on Okinawa helped procure special equipment including rucksacks, special rations for irregular troops, 'sterile' weapons which could not be traced to the USA and other items not procurable through foreign channels.

Synonyms

• (unable to procreate): barren, infertile

Antonyms

• non-sterile, nonsterile
• unsterile

Related terms

• sterilisation / sterilization
• sterilise / sterilize
• sterilised / sterilized
• sterility

Translations

Anagrams

• Leister, leister, reliest, retiles, treiles

German

Pronunciation

Adjective

sterile

1. inflection of steril:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Interlingua

Adjective

sterile (not comparable)

1. sterile

Italian

Etymology

From Latin sterilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?st?.ri.le/

Adjective

sterile (plural sterili)

1. sterile, barren, unprolific, infertile
2. sterile, sterilized (medicine)
3. vain, pointless
4. unproductive

Related terms

• sterilità
• sterilizzato
• sterilizzazione
• sterilizzare
• sterilire

Further reading

• sterile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Adjective

sterile

1. nominative neuter singular of sterilis
2. accusative neuter singular of sterilis
3. vocative neuter singular of sterilis

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

sterile

1. definite singular/plural of steril

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

sterile

1. definite singular/plural of steril