Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, 3rd person singular presenttense sires, present participle siring, past tense, past participle sired
1. verb
When a male animal, especially a horse, sires a young animal, he makes a female pregnant so that she gives birth to it.
[technical]
Comet also sired the champion foal out of Spinway Harvest. [VERB noun]
2. verb
If a man sires a child, he makes a woman pregnant and she gives birth to a child.
[old-fashioned]
3. countable noun
Your sire is your father.
[old-fashioned]
sire in British English
(saɪə)
noun
1.
a male parent, esp of a horse or other domestic animal
2.
a respectful term of address, now used only in addressing a male monarch
3. obsolete
a man of high rank
verb
4. (transitive)
(esp of a domestic animal) to father; beget
Word origin
C13: from Old French, from Latin senior an elder, from senex an old man
sire in American English
(saɪr)
noun
1.
a. Archaic
a person of authority; man of high rank
b. [S-]
a title of respect used in addressing a king, equivalent to “your majesty”
2. OLD-FASHIONED, Poetic
a father or forefather
3.
the male parent of an animal, esp. of a four-legged mammal
verb transitiveWord forms: sired or ˈsiring
4.
to beget
said esp. of animals
Word origin
ME < OFr, a master < L senior: see senior
Examples of 'sire' in a sentence
sire
He is by a USA sire whose offspring routinely improve with experience.
The Sun (2012)
In other languages
sire
British English: sire VERB
When a male animal, especially a horse, sires a young animal, he makes a female pregnant so that she gives birth to it.