SKIP TO CONTENT

sire

/ˈsaɪər/

/saɪe/

Other forms: sires; sired; siring

A sire is an animal's father. A newborn foal might look very much like his sire, with a white stripe on his brown face.

Every once in a while, the word sire is used for a human — your dad is your sire — but it's much more common to find this word describing an animal's male parent. It's also a verb, meaning "to father," as in "My prize pig sires the cutest piglets." In the old days, you'd also use sire to directly address a nobleman or a king. It comes from the Latin word senior, "elder."

Definitions of sire
  1. noun
    male parent of an animal especially a domestic animal such as a horse
    see moresee less
    type of:
    male
    an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes (ova)
  2. noun
    the founder of a family
    synonyms: father, forefather
    see moresee less
    examples:
    show 10 examples...
    hide 10 examples...
    Abraham
    the first of the Old Testament patriarchs and the father of Isaac; according to Genesis, God promised to give Abraham's family (the Hebrews) the land of Canaan (the Promised Land); God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son
    Benjamin
    (Old Testament) the youngest and best-loved son of Jacob and Rachel and one of the twelve forebears of the tribes of Israel
    Isaac
    (Old Testament) the second patriarch; son of Abraham and Sarah who was offered by Abraham as a sacrifice to God; father of Jacob and Esau
    Ishmael
    (Old Testament) the son of Abraham who was cast out after the birth of Isaac; considered the forebear of 12 Arabian tribes
    Issachar
    (Old Testament) a son of Jacob and a forebear of one of the tribes of Israel
    Joseph
    (Old Testament) the 11th son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel; Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors, which made his brothers jealous and they sold him into slavery in Egypt
    Judah
    (Old Testament) the fourth son of Jacob who was forebear of one of the tribes of Israel; one of his descendants was to be the Messiah
    Methuselah
    (Old Testament) a patriarch (grandfather of Noah) who is said to have lived 969 years
    Noah
    the Hebrew patriarch who saved himself and his family and the animals by building an ark in which they survived 40 days and 40 nights of rain; the story of Noah and the flood is told in the Book of Genesis
    Reuben
    (Old Testment) a son of Jacob and forefather of one of the tribes of Israel
    types:
    show 4 types...
    hide 4 types...
    patriarch
    any of the early biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race
    antediluvian, antediluvian patriarch
    any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge
    Jacob
    (Old Testament) son of Isaac; brother of Esau; father of the twelve patriarchs of Israel; Jacob wrestled with God and forced God to bless him, so God gave Jacob the new name of Israel (meaning `one who has been strong against God')
    Simeon
    (Old Testament) the 2nd son of Jacob and one of the 12 patriarchs of Israel
    type of:
    ancestor, antecedent, ascendant, ascendent, root
    someone from whom you are descended (but usually more remote than a grandparent)
  3. noun
    a title of address formerly used for a man of rank and authority
    see moresee less
    type of:
    Lord, noble, nobleman
    a titled peer of the realm
  4. verb
    make children
    synonyms: beget, bring forth, engender, father, generate, get, mother
    see moresee less
    type of:
    create, make
    make or cause to be or to become
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘sire'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Look up sire for the last time

Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.

VocabTrainer - Vocabulary.com's Vocabulary Trainer