Word
sibling
Phoneticssib·ling, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsɪbɫɪŋ/
UK/sˈɪblɪŋ/
Definitions
01brother or sister
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person who has the same parents as you; your brother or sister.
n. one of two or more individuals having one or both parents in common; a gender-neutral collective term for brothers and sisters.
“I have three siblings: two older brothers and a younger sister.”
“Research suggests that sibling relationships play a crucial role in the development of social skills during early childhood.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural to refer to a group of brothers and sisters together.
02computing/data
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. in a computer diagram or list, a part that is on the same level as another part under the same 'parent'.
n. a node in a data structure, such as a tree or graph, that shares the same immediate parent node as another.
“In this folder structure, the 'Images' and 'Videos' folders are siblings.”
“The algorithm traverses the tree by visiting each sibling at the current depth before descending to the next level of the hierarchy.”
03biology/species
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. a species that is very closely related to another species.
n. one of two or more closely related species which are nearly indistinguishable morphologically but are reproductively isolated.
“These two types of birds are sibling species and look almost identical.”
“The identification of sibling species often requires genetic analysis, as physical characteristics may be insufficient to differentiate them in the field.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sibling” in context.
Verb
01. have a sibling
“Did you have any siblings to play with when you were a child?”
verb + noun
02. resemble a sibling
“She closely resembles her older sibling in both appearance and personality.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. older sibling
“As the older sibling, she often had to look after her younger brothers.”
adj + noun
04. only sibling
“He is my only sibling, so we have always been very close.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. sibling bond
“The shared experience of their difficult childhood strengthened their sibling bond.”
noun + noun
06. sibling rivalry
“There was a lot of sibling rivalry between the two sisters when they were growing up.”
noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“It can also take place indoors, through rough-and-tumble play such as wrestling with siblings or indoor rock climbing at the local gym.” “Cat and her siblings said they had no wish for their father to die behind bars, but they wanted him to admit what he did.” Etymology
First use appears c. 1903, a modern revival of Old English sibling (“relative, a relation, kinsman”), equivalent to sib + -ling. Compare Middle English siblynges pl, sib, sibbe (“relative; kinsman”), German Sippe. The term apparently meant merely kin or relative until the 20th century when it was applied in a way that aided the study of genetics, which led to its specialized use. For example, the OED has a citation in 1902 in which sibling must be defined for those who do not know the intended meaning.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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