sire
sire — noun
- siresingular
- siresplural
1. an adult male animal that has produced young; in particular, a male horse kept f
an adult male animal that has produced young; in particular, a male horse kept for breeding.
The champion racehorse stood at stud and became the sire of three Kentucky Derby winners.
collocation: sire of [offspring group]
Lakan checked the pedigree records to identify the sire of each calf in his herd.
Breeders often choose a sire whose offspring have a calm temperament and strong bones.
The kennel club listed the sire and dam of every registered litter of puppies.
- dam
the technical term for the female parent of an animal
文法句型
sire + of + offspring
the sire (of something)
用法筆記
In animal breeding, the female parent is called the dam. The pair is commonly referred to as 'sire and dam' in pedigree documents.
常見錯誤
2. a respectful title used when speaking directly to a king or royal ruler; now fou
a respectful title used when speaking directly to a king or royal ruler; now found mainly in historical writing, films, and formal ceremonies.
"Sire, the messenger has arrived from the northern provinces," the courtier whispered to the king.
register: formal/dated address to royalty
Cyrus knelt before the throne and said, "I swear my loyalty to you, sire."
pattern: direct address at end of sentence
In the Shakespeare play, every character addresses the monarch as "sire" to show respect.
Nellie read a historical novel in which the queen's advisors always began their sentences with "Sire."
Adina studied medieval court etiquette and learned that "sire" was the standard term for addressing a king directly.
- Your Majesty
more formal and widely used across different periods; 'sire' has a slightly archaic, chivalric tone
- Your Highness
used for princes and certain royal family members, not exclusively for the ruling monarch
文法句型
used as a direct form of address
Your Majesty... sire
用法筆記
This sense only works as a vocative (direct address) — you call a king 'sire' but you do not refer to him as 'a sire' in the third person. The form is now largely confined to historical fiction, fantasy novels, and ceremonial language.
常見錯誤
3. a male ancestor who founded or is the earliest known member of a family, clan, o
a male ancestor who founded or is the earliest known member of a family, clan, or group.
The tribal elders told stories about the great sire who led their people across the mountains centuries ago.
collocation: the (great) sire of [people/clan]
According to the family legend, the sire of the Bao lineage was a famous scholar from the Han dynasty.
The portrait in the hallway shows the sire of the noble house, painted in 1620.
Padma traced her family tree back to its earliest known sire, a farmer who settled in the valley in 1750.
Vinícius discovered that the sire of his mother's clan had arrived in Brazil aboard a Portuguese ship in 1723.
- forefather
nearly interchangeable, though 'forefather' can also refer collectively to earlier generations; 'sire' emphasises a single founding figure
- progenitor
more formal and often used in scientific or academic writing about the origin of a species or idea
- ancestor
a broader term covering any relative from past generations, not necessarily the first or founding one
- descendant
a person from a later generation who is related through the family line
文法句型
the sire of [a family / clan / lineage]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers to a distant human ancestor rather than an animal's immediate male parent. It emphasises the founding aspect of a lineage rather than direct father–child parenthood.
常見錯誤
sire — verb
- sirepresent simple I / you / we / they
- sires3rd person singular
- siring-ing form
- siredpast simple
1. to produce offspring as a male animal, especially a horse; when referring to hum
to produce offspring as a male animal, especially a horse; when referring to human fatherhood, the verb sounds formal or old-fashioned and is mainly used about royalty or historical figures.
The award-winning Arabian stallion has sired over forty healthy foals during his career.
passive: sired by [parent]
Historical records show that the duke sired three children with his first wife and two with his second.
register: formal/historical use for human fatherhood
The ranch owner was pleased when his prized bull sired twin calves last spring.
According to the ancient chronicle, the chieftain sired seven sons before he turned thirty.
Breeders hope the new stallion will sire foals with excellent racing speed and stamina.
- bear
to give birth to young — the female counterpart to 'sire'
文法句型
sire + offspring (animal)
sire + child (human, formal/historical)
用法筆記
In modern everyday English, use 'father' as a verb for humans instead of 'sire', which sounds old-fashioned or deliberately formal outside of animal breeding contexts. The past participle 'sired by' is common in horse pedigrees.