sire

noun

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\ ˈsī(-ə)r

Definition of sire

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : father

b archaic : male ancestor : forefather

c : author, originator

2a archaic : a man of rank or authority especially : lord —used formerly as a form of address and as a title

b obsolete : an elderly man : senior

3 : the male parent of an animal and especially of a domestic animal

sire

verb

sired; siring

Definition of sire (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : beget —used especially of male domestic animals

2 : to bring into being : originate

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More About sire

Synonyms for sire

Synonyms: Noun

dad,
daddy,
father,
old man,
pa,
papa
(also poppa),
pater
[chiefly British],
pop

Synonyms: Verb

Examples of sire in a Sentence

Noun his sire had been a renowned Wall Street lawyer the revered sire of the impressionist movement in art Verb The horse sired several champion racers. the champion racehorse went on to sire a long line of winners

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun However, his maiden and allowance wins do reveal pace versatility, and his sire is Exaggerator, who won the Preakness in 2016. — Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 16 May 2022 His sire, Protonico, had been a solid racehorse, winning four stakes races and nearly $1 million in purses. — New York Times, 6 May 2022 Gun Runner is the top sire with 16 Triple Crown nominees. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 9 Feb. 2022 Spendthrift stands 12 of the 45 stallions that bred more than 140 mares last year, including Into Mischief, sire of 2020 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic and last year’s runner-up, Mandaloun. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 18 Feb. 2022 This daughter of More Than Ready should live up to her sire’s name. — Jeff Nahill, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2021 Imagine the Roys as a coven of powerful vampires with Logan as their sire, not only leeching off the world in your standard-issue billionaire way but in a bloodsucking way too. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2021 Pyraclostrobin causes tilapia to engage in water jacking, tummy turning, and cartwheeling, and early jacking among supermale Atlantic salmon is attributable more to the dam than to the sire. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021 With Bernardini as his sire, Bourbonic would seem to be eligible to improve at the 1 ¼-mile distance. — Jason Frakes, The Courier-Journal, 26 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The tension is thought to stem from the two sexes’ competing goals: The male duck wants to sire as many offspring as possible, while the female duck wants to choose the father of her children. — Rachel E. Gross, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2022 Grindstone would eventually sire more than 300 winners, most notably Birdstone, whose 2004 Belmont Stakes win thwarted Smarty Jones' pursuit of a Triple Crown. — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 23 Mar. 2022 Win early sire and steady works indicate readiness and the Robertson barn wins often with babies. — Star Tribune, 28 July 2021 The notion of seeking out high-quality fathers to sire high-quality kids isn’t new, of course. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 6 July 2021 Essential Quality is regally owned and bred — by Dubai Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum's Godolphin stable — and his father is Tapit, who had a modest racing career only to become America's most dominant sire over the last 16 years. — BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2021 In this story two primal beings, T’ala’as and Lilu, each sire a child. — BostonGlobe.com, 5 May 2021 The alpha sire leads from the rear and actively keeps the herd moving at the necessary pace. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021 Global Empire: Sired by American Pharoah who is a prolific turf sire early on. — Michael Beychok, NOLA.com, 15 Jan. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sire.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.