siren

¹si·ren

noun \ˈsī-rən, for 3 also sī-ˈrēn\

Definition of SIREN

1

often capitalized : any of a group of female and partly human creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their singing

2

a : a woman who sings with enchanting sweetness

b : temptress

c : temptation 2

3

a : an apparatus producing musical tones especially in acoustical studies by the rapid interruption of a current of air, steam, or fluid by a perforated rotating disk

b : a device often electrically operated for producing a penetrating warning sound <an ambulance siren> <an air-raid siren>

4

[New Latin, from Latin] : either of two North American eel-shaped amphibians that constitute a genus (Siren) and have small forelimbs but neither hind legs nor pelvis and have permanent external gills as well as lungs

Examples of SIREN

1. the wailing of air-raid sirens
2. <one of history's most famous sirens, Cleopatra charmed both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony>

Origin of SIREN

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French sereine, from Late Latin sirena, from Latin siren, from Greek seirēn

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to SIREN

Synonyms

enchantress, femme fatale, seductress, temptress

Related Words

beguiler, charmer, seducer, vamp; sexpot, sex symbol

Rhymes with SIREN

Andine, arene, baleen, beguine, Benin, benzene, benzine, Bernstein, between, black bean, boreen, bovine, broad bean, buckbean, caffeine, canteen, carbine, careen, chlorine, chopine, chorine, citrine, codeine, colleen, convene, cotquean, cuisine, dasheen, dauphine, demean, demesne, dry-clean, dudeen, eighteen, Essene, e-zine, fanzine, fascine, fifteen, flavine, fluorine, fourteen, gamine, gangrene, glassine, gyrene, Hellene, hoatzin, horsebean, houseclean, khamsin, Ladin, lateen, latrine, Lublin, machine, malines, marine, moline, moreen, morphine, nankeen, naphthene, Nicene, nineteen, nongreen, obscene, offscreen, on-screen, patine, piscine, poteen, praline, preteen, pristine, propine, Rabin, ratteen, ravine, red bean, routine, saline, saltine, Salween, sardine, sateen, scalene, serene, shagreen, shebeen, Sistine, sixteen, Slovene, snap bean, soybean, spalpeen, string bean, strychnine, subteen, sunscreen, Szczecin, tacrine, takin, taurine, terrene, terrine, thirteen, Tolkien, tontine, tureen, umpteen, unclean, undine, unseen, vaccine, vitrine, wax bean, white bean, windscreen, yestreen, Yibin, zechin

²si·ren

adjective \ˈsī-rən\

Definition of SIREN

: resembling that of a siren : enticing

First Known Use of SIREN

1568