sir
EnglishEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle English sir, borrowed from Old French sire (“master, sir, lord”), from Latin senior (“older, elder”), from senex (“old”). Compare sire, signor, seignior, señor.
PronunciationEdit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɜː(ɹ)/
- (General American) enPR: ˈsûr, IPA(key): /ˈsɝ/
Audio (US) (file)
- (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˈsɪɹ/
- (Indian English) IPA(key): /ˈsə(r)/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)
NounEdit
sir (plural sirs)
- A man of a higher rank or position.
- A respectful term of address to a man of higher rank or position, particularly:
- 1991 May 12, "Kidnapped!" Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:
- Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves?
Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir.
- Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776.
- 1991 May 12, "Kidnapped!" Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:
- A respectful term of address to any male, especially if his name or proper title is unknown.
- Excuse me, sir, do you know the wifi password here?
- (colloquial) Used as an intensifier after yes or no.
- Sir, yes sir.
Coordinate termsEdit
- (address for a military superior officer): ma'am
- (address for a teacher): miss
- (address for stranger): madam, ma'am, miss
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
man of a higher rank or position
address to a military superior
|
address to any male, especially if his name or proper address is unknown
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
VerbEdit
sir (third-person singular simple present sirs, present participle sirring, simple past and past participle sirred)
- To address (someone) using "sir".
- Sir, yes, sir!
Don't you sir me, private! I work for a living!
Coordinate termsEdit
See alsoEdit
- lord
- (titles) (of a man): Mr (Mister, mister), Sir (sir); (of a woman): Ms (Miz, mizz), Mrs (Mistress, mistress), Miss (miss), Dame (dame), (of a non-binary person): Mx (Mixter); (see also): Dr (Doctor, doctor), Madam (madam, ma'am)
Further readingEdit
- sir in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- sir in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
AnagramsEdit
Scottish GaelicEdit
EtymologyEdit
VerbEdit
sir (past shir, future siridh, verbal noun sireadh, past participle sirte)
SynonymsEdit
Serbo-CroatianEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Proto-Slavic *syrъ, derived from "sour milk"
PronunciationEdit
NounEdit
sȉr m (Cyrillic spelling си̏р)
DeclensionEdit
Declension of sir
Derived termsEdit
SloveneEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Proto-Slavic *syrъ, derived from "sour milk"
PronunciationEdit
- IPA(key): /ˈsír/
- Tonal orthography: sȉr
NounEdit
sìr m inan (genitive síra, nominative plural síri)
DeclensionEdit
Declension of sìr (masculine inan., hard o-stem)
