Sir, sėr, n. a word of respect used in addressing a man: a gentleman: the title of a knight or baronet, used along with the Christian name and surname, as 'Sir David Pole:' formerly a common title of address for the clergy as a translation of L. dominus, the term used for a bachelor of arts, originally in contradistinction from the magister, or master of arts—hence Sir John=a priest.—v.t. to address as 'sir.' [O. Fr. sire, through O. Fr. senre, from L. senior, an elder, comp. of senex, old. Cf. the parallel forms Sire, Senior, Seignior, Signor.]
Sircar, sėr-kär′, n. a Hindu clerk.—Also Sirkar′, Circar′. [Hind. sarkār, a superintendent—sar, head, kār, Sans. kara, work.]
Sirdar, sėr-där′, n. a chief or military officer. [Hind. sardār—sar, head, -dār, holding.]
Sire, sīr, n. one in the place of a father, as a sovereign: an elder, a progenitor: the male parent of a beast, esp. of a horse: (pl.) ancestors (poetry).—v.t. to beget, used of animals. [Sir.]
Siredon, sī-rē′don, n. a larval salamander:—pl. Sirē′dones.
Siren, sī′ren, n. (Gr. myth.) one of certain sea-nymphs who sat on the shores of an island between Circe's isle and Scylla, near the south-western coast of Italy, and sang with bewitching sweetness songs that allured the passing sailor to draw near, only to meet with death: a fascinating woman, any one insidious and deceptive: an instrument which produces musical sounds by introducing a regularly recurring discontinuity into an otherwise steady blast of air: an instrument for demonstrating the laws of beats and combination tones: an eel-like, amphibious animal, with only one pair of feet, inhabiting swamps in the southern states of North America.—adj. pertaining to, or like, a siren: fascinating.—n. Sirē′nia, an order of aquatic mammals now represented by the dugong (Halicore) and the manatee (Manatus).—adj. Sirē′nian.—v.i. Sī′renise, to play the siren. [L. siren—Gr. seirēn, prob. seira, a cord.]
Sirgang, sėr′gang, n. the Asiatic green jackdaw.
Sirih, sir′i, n. the betel-leaf. [Malay.]
Sirius, sir′i-us, n. the Dogstar or Canicula, the brightest star in the heavens, situated in the constellation of Canis Major, or the Great Dog.—n. Sirī′asis, sunstroke. [L.,—Gr. seirios.]
Sirloin, sėr′loin, n. the loin or upper part of the loin of beef. [Fr. surlonge—sur (—L. super, above) and longe (cf. Loin). The first syllable has been modified by confusion with Eng. sir, and an absurd etymology constructed to suit.]