sterile
gb/stˈɛɹəl/ us/stˈɛɹəl/
B2
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
B2
property
1
free from germs
very clean and free from germs, especially for medical use
Patrón de uso:
sterile [object/place]
Error frecuente:
Do not use sterile for ordinary cleanliness; it usually means free from microorganisms, not just tidy or washed.
Sinónimos
germ-free (more informal and easier to understand)
|
aseptic (more technical, especially in medicine and microbiology)
|
disinfected (cleaned to remove many germs, but not always completely sterile)
Antónimos
contaminated (made unclean or unsafe by germs or harmful substances)
|
infected (containing disease-causing organisms)
Colocaciones
sterile equipment
|sterile gloves
|sterile needle
|sterile dressing
|sterile instruments
|sterile container
|sterile water
|sterile environment
|keep something sterile
|remain sterile
Temas
medicine
|health
|science
|cleaning
Ejemplos
- The nurse opened a sterile package of surgical instruments.
- Use a sterile needle every time to reduce the risk of infection.
- The samples must be collected in sterile containers.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The doctor wore sterile gloves.
- Please keep the bandage sterile.
adjective
C1
property
2
unable to reproduce
not able to have babies or produce offspring
Patrón de uso:
sterile [person/animal/plant]
Error frecuente:
When speaking about people, sterile can sound clinical or insensitive; infertile or unable to have children is often gentler.
Sinónimos
infertile (more common and often more sensitive for people)
|
barren (older or more literary; can be offensive when used of people)
|
unfruitful (mainly used for plants or figurative contexts)
Antónimos
fertile (able to produce children, young, seeds, or crops)
|
reproductive (able or involved in producing offspring)
Colocaciones
sterile male
|sterile female
|sterile animal
|sterile plant
|made sterile
|rendered sterile
|sterile seeds
|sterile offspring
|genetically sterile
Temas
biology
|medicine
|reproduction
|animals
|plants
Ejemplos
- Some hybrid animals are sterile and cannot reproduce.
- The treatment left him sterile.
- The company developed sterile plants that cannot spread beyond the farm.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The animal is sterile and cannot have young.
- Some seeds are sterile.
adjective
C1
property
3
cold and impersonal
too plain, cold, or impersonal
Patrón de uso:
sterile [place/design/atmosphere]
Error frecuente:
A sterile room can mean either germ-free or cold and impersonal; context shows which meaning is intended.
Sinónimos
clinical (suggests a cold hospital-like feeling)
|
impersonal (emphasizes lack of personal warmth)
|
soulless (stronger and more emotional criticism)
Antónimos
warm (pleasant, welcoming, and emotionally comfortable)
|
homely (British English for comfortable and home-like)
|
inviting (attractive and welcoming)
Colocaciones
sterile room
|sterile office
|sterile environment
|sterile atmosphere
|sterile design
|sterile interior
|sterile space
|feel sterile
|look sterile
Temas
description
|design
|places
|emotions
Ejemplos
- The apartment was expensive but felt sterile and unlived-in.
- They wanted the lobby to look modern without becoming sterile.
- The white walls and harsh lighting gave the classroom a sterile atmosphere.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The office looks sterile and cold.
- The hotel room felt sterile.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
unproductive or pointless
not useful because it produces no good result or new idea
Patrón de uso:
sterile [debate/discussion/argument/exercise]
Error frecuente:
This figurative meaning is usually negative and often used with words like debate, discussion, or exercise.
Sinónimos
fruitless (emphasizes failure to achieve a result)
|
unproductive (more direct and common in everyday language)
|
pointless (stronger and less formal; suggests no value at all)
Antónimos
productive (producing useful results)
|
fruitful (producing good results or useful ideas)
|
constructive (helpful and aimed at improvement)
Colocaciones
sterile debate
|sterile discussion
|sterile argument
|sterile exercise
|sterile conversation
|sterile approach
|sterile analysis
|sterile speculation
Temas
communication
|work
|ideas
|politics
Ejemplos
- The meeting turned into a sterile debate about who was to blame.
- She was tired of sterile arguments that never led to action.
- The report criticized the policy review as a sterile exercise.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The discussion was sterile and solved nothing.
- We need a useful plan, not a sterile debate.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
sterile
AFI
GB/stˈɛɹəl/
US/stˈɛɹəl/
Sílabas y acento
sterile (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (sterile)
Formas de la palabra
Adjective
- Base: sterile
Expresiones
sterile cockpit
1/stˈɛɹəl kˈɑkpˌɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
no unnecessary cockpit talk
a flight-safety rule that pilots must focus only on important flight tasks
Ejemplos
- The crew maintained a sterile cockpit during takeoff and landing.
- Nonessential conversation is prohibited under the sterile cockpit rule.
- The investigation found that the pilots had failed to observe sterile cockpit procedures.
sterile field
1/stˈɛɹəl fˈild/
fixed phrase
technical
germ-free work area
a clean area in surgery or lab work that must stay free from germs
Ejemplos
- The nurse prepared a sterile field before the procedure began.
- Do not reach over the sterile field unless you are wearing sterile gloves.
- The instrument was removed because it had fallen outside the sterile field.
sterile insect technique
1/stˈɛɹəl ˈɪnsˌɛkt tɛknˈik/
fixed phrase
technical
pest control with sterile insects
a way to control pests by releasing insects that cannot reproduce
Ejemplos
- The sterile insect technique has been used to control fruit fly populations.
- Scientists released sterile male mosquitoes as part of a sterile insect technique program.
- The method reduces pests without relying only on insecticides.
sterile neutrino
1/stˈɛɹəl nutɹˈinoʊ/
fixed phrase
technical
hypothetical weakly interacting particle
a possible kind of tiny particle that is very hard to detect
Ejemplos
- Some physicists have proposed sterile neutrinos as a possible component of dark matter.
- The experiment found no clear evidence for a sterile neutrino.
- A sterile neutrino would interact even less than ordinary neutrinos.
sterile processing
1/stˈɛɹəl pɹˈɑsɛsɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
sterilizing medical equipment
the hospital work of cleaning and sterilizing instruments
Ejemplos
- The instruments were sent to sterile processing after the operation.
- She works as a sterile processing technician at a large hospital.
- A delay in sterile processing can slow down the surgical schedule.
sterile technique
1/stˈɛɹəl tɛknˈik/
fixed phrase
technical
methods preventing contamination
special ways of working that keep germs away during medical or lab work
Ejemplos
- All staff must follow sterile technique when inserting a central line.
- The students practiced sterile technique before entering the operating room.
- Poor sterile technique can lead to serious infections.