siren

noun

si·ren | \ ˈsī-rən,

for sense 3 also sī-ˈrēn\

Definition of siren

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : a woman who sings with enchanting sweetness

b : temptress

c : temptation sense 2

3a : 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

siren

adjective

si·ren | \ ˈsī-rən

Definition of siren (Entry 2 of 2)

: resembling that of a siren : enticing

Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about siren

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Did You Know?

The sirens were a group of partly human female creatures that lured sailors onto destructive rocks with their singing. Odysseus and his men encountered the sirens on their long journey home from Troy. The only way to sail by them safely was to make oneself deaf to their enchanting song, so Odysseus packed the men's ears with wax, while he himself, ever curious, kept his ears open but had himself tied to the mast to keep from flinging himself into the water or steering his ship toward sure destruction in his desire to see them. A siren today is a sinister but almost irresistible woman. A siren song, however, may be any appeal that lures a person to act against his or her better judgment.

Examples of siren in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Those sirens also include large drops in commodities like oil and copper, which hint at slowing global demand, and stress in the corporate-bond market. — Gunjan Banerji, WSJ, "Behind the Market Swoon: The Herdlike Behavior of Computerized Trading," 25 Dec. 2018 Everyone willingly follows her and Ethel outside and back towards Riverdale, just as some very ominous sirens start to sound in the distance. — Emma Dibdin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale's Winter Finale Finally Solves the Gargoyle King Mystery," 13 Dec. 2018 With air raid sirens wailing throughout southern Israel and the explosions of airstrikes thundering in Gaza, the sides had appeared to be headed to what would have been their fourth war in a decade. — Fares Akram, The Seattle Times, "Cease-fire takes hold between Israel and Hamas," 13 Nov. 2018 This kit comes with the aforementioned cameras, the base station, and siren. — Ian Paul, PCWorld, "Snag Arlo home security gear at deep discounts in Amazon's big one-day sale," 6 Aug. 2018 After flashing their lights and sirens in an attempt to pull the car over, the officers deployed a strategy based around their assumption that the Tesla Model 3 was running on Autopilot. — Dami Lee, The Verge, "Police may have used Tesla’s Autopilot feature to stop driver asleep at the wheel," 3 Dec. 2018 The driver then ignored a stop sign at West Concordia Avenue, so the officers turned on their squad's lights and sirens. — Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "A Milwaukee police chase covered 78 miles and lasted 90 minutes. Here's what happened," 27 June 2018 The Houston Police Department sergeant had his lights and sirens blaring, but another driver failed to see or hear the police car and struck him about 10 p.m. at Bellaire and South Sam Houston Parkway, said HPD Sgt. — Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, "Officer receives minor injuries in crash in Chinatown area," 15 June 2018 An officer activated his cruiser's lights and sirens in an attempt to pull over the car, but the man continued driving. — Bob Sandrick, cleveland.com, "Hot Pocket bandit punches customer in Circle K; man hit with brick loses consciousness: Brook Park Police Blotter," 2 Mar. 2018

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

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Last Updated

15 Jan 2019

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The first known use of siren was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for siren

siren

noun

English Language Learners Definition of siren

: a piece of equipment that produces a loud, high-pitched warning sound

: a woman who is very attractive but also dangerous

Siren : one of a group of female creatures in Greek mythology whose singing attracted sailors and caused them to sail into dangerous water or toward rocks

See the full definition for siren in the English Language Learners Dictionary

siren

noun

si·ren | \ ˈsī-rən