sire

1 of 2

noun

ˈsī(-ə)r 

1

a

: father

b

archaic : male ancestor : forefather

c

: author, originator

2

a

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

2 of 2

verb

sired; siring

transitive verb

1

: beget

—used especially of male domestic animals

2

: to bring into being : originate

Synonyms

Noun

• dad
• daddy
• father
• old man
• pa
• papa
• poppa
• pater [chiefly British]
• pop

Verb

• beget
• father
• get

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

The swashbuckling sire, the deadpan ingénue, the sans serif font, the one-point perspective — Anderson’s held fast to his favorite elements even as his canvases have gotten broader and his style even more fastidious. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 18 May 2025

Journalism shares a sire (Curlin) with a five-year-old colt from Kentucky named Crupi (no relation). —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

He was sired by American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown in 2015. —Jason Jones, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Flying Mohawk This horse was sired by Karakontie, a Mohawk word that roughly translates to flying sun burning across the sky. —Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, lord, feudal superior, from Vulgar Latin *seior, alteration of Latin senior older — more at senior

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

sire

1 of 2 noun

ˈsī(ə)r 

1

: father entry 1 sense 1a

2

archaic : a male ancestor : forefather

3

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

sire

2 of 2 verb

sired; siring

: beget sense 1

—used especially of domestic animals

Medical Definition

sire

1 of 2 noun

ˈsī(ə)r 

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

sire

2 of 2 transitive verb

sired; siring

: to procreate as the male parent of