Wordwyrt

sterile

/sˈteɹəl/STEH-ruhl
/sˈtɛɹəl/STEH-ruhl

Meaningbarren

Common meaning: unable to produce offspring

Other meanings: free of germs

Journey through time

  1. Aryan root · reconstructed√STAR or STAL‘be firm, also set, place’No written record; from Skeat’s list of Aryan roots, no. 426, p. 745 · scan
  2. Latinsterilis, -e‘barren’
  3. Old Frenchsterilesource
  4. Englishsterile‘unable to produce offspring’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin sterilis ‘barren’.

Roots

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