ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sire

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈsaɪɝ// UK //sˈaɪə// sire Archaic

n. a formal way to address a king or a male ruler. It is also used in farming to describe the male parent of an animal, like a horse.

n. a formal title of address for a male sovereign; also refers to the male parent of a domestic animal, particularly in livestock breeding.


SIMPLE

The knight bowed before his sire.

CONTEXTUAL

The champion racehorse was a famous sire, known for passing his incredible speed to his many offspring.

COMPLEX

While the term is largely archaic in political contexts, it remains a standard technical term in pedigree documentation to identify the male lineage of a thoroughbred.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English sire, from Old French sire, the nominative singular of seignor; from Latin senior, from senex. Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senhor, senior, señor, senyor, signore, and sir. Cognate with French monsieur.

Usage

When used as a title of address for royalty, it is typically capitalized.

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