sire

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: father
b
archaic : male ancestor : forefather
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Sierra Leone Wins $7 million BC Classic Sierra Leone won the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic Saturday, just as his sire did at Del Mar in 2017. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024 The guest-star roster grows In addition to the return of some fan favorites (including Guillermo's sire, Derek, played by Chris Sandiford), Simms says the show will continue its tradition of featuring notable guest stars. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 23 July 2024
Verb
Both evolve over time, allowing an ancestral tongue like Latin to sire diverse descendants — Spanish, French, Romanian — that are more closely related to each other than to, say, Korean. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 And Otis may have sired many bears at the Brooks River, Bruce says, although scientists can’t say that for sure. Erin Donaghue, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sire 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sire was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sire

Cite this Entry

“Sire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sire. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sire

1 of 2 noun
1
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
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on sire

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