siren

1 of 2

noun

si·​ren ˈsī-rən 

 for sense 3 also  sī-ˈrēn

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 sense 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

siren

2 of 2

adjective

si·​ren ˈsī-rən 

: resembling that of a siren : enticing

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• enchantress
• femme fatale
• seductress
• temptress

Example Sentences

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

There's also an 86-decibel siren that can be heard at a distance of 600 feet for emergencies. —Rachel Klein, Popular Mechanics, 20 Jan. 2023

If the lights went out but there was no air raid siren, the audience was instructed to wait five or ten minutes for the generators to kick in. —Nick Holdsworth, Variety, 5 Dec. 2022

There's a loud siren in case you're lost in the woods, and a spare Action Button to trigger specific and configurable actions. —Gear Team, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2022

This twisted, wordless quasi-love story follows a deaf knight whose entire battalion is felled by a siren-like creature covered in gold and jewels. —Scott Meslow, Vulture, 25 May 2022

Johnson launched his open-wheel program with the blessing of wife Chandra and daughters Genevieve and Lydia on the condition ovals were strictly verboten — especially that siren-of-a-track in Indianapolis. —John Sturbin, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2022

And for the 2022 EBONY Power 100 event in LA, Shiona pulled a siren-red look fresh from Maximilian Davis’s debut Ferragamo collection for Letitia to wear. —Alice Cary, Glamour, 4 Nov. 2022

There was one particular overture that became a siren call to brown internet children in the 2010s. —Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2022

That’s the classic source of a siren-like whining noise while accelerating. —Ray Magliozzi, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2022

Adjective

Emergency vehicle drivers face greater traffic in the city, more soundproofed cars and drivers who sometimes wear earbuds while driving, which often necessitate more siren use. —Melanie Grayce West, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2019

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Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing siren

• siren call
• siren song

• siren call
• siren song

Kids Definition

siren

noun

si·​ren

ˈsī-rən,

 for sense 3 also  sī-ˈrēn

1

often capitalized : one of a group of womanlike creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their singing

2

: a tempting woman

3

: a device often electrically operated for producing a loud shrill warning sound

ambulance siren