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
The two litters are half-siblings and share the same sire (male parent), Drumlin, according to NPS. Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025 In wings and beak and crest, Formed like his sire, as in the feet before; But like the mare, his dam, in all the rest. The New Yorker, New Yorker, 11 June 2025
Verb
Bowie recently sired a calf there, making Fort Worth Zoo elephant matriarch Rasha a great-grandmother. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Sep. 2025 The brother lions sired several cubs over their long reign at the zoo. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sire. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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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