sire
sire — 名詞
- siresingular
- siresplural
1. an adult male animal that has produced young; in particular, a male horse kept f
種馬；種公
動物（尤指馬）的雄性親代
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.
那匹冠軍賽馬退役後成為種馬，牠的子嗣中出了三匹肯塔基德比大賽的優勝者。
collocation: sire of [offspring group]
Lakan checked the pedigree records to identify the sire of each calf in his herd.
Lakan 查閱血統記錄，確認他牧場裡每頭小牛的父系種畜。
Breeders often choose a sire whose offspring have a calm temperament and strong bones.
飼育員通常會選擇後代性情溫和、骨骼強健的種畜來繁殖。
The kennel club listed the sire and dam of every registered litter of puppies.
犬舍俱樂部列出的每窩註冊幼犬的父系與母系資料。
- 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
陛下
對國王的正式稱呼
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.
「陛下，北方各省的信使已經抵達了，」朝臣低聲向國王稟報。
register: formal/dated address to royalty
Cyrus knelt before the throne and said, "I swear my loyalty to you, sire."
Cyrus 跪在御前說：「陛下，我宣誓效忠於您。」
pattern: direct address at end of sentence
In the Shakespeare play, every character addresses the monarch as "sire" to show respect.
在那部莎士比亞劇作裡，每個角色都以「陛下」來稱呼君主，以示敬意。
Nellie read a historical novel in which the queen's advisors always began their sentences with "Sire."
Nellie 讀了一本歷史小說，書中女王的顧問在開口時總是以「陛下」開頭。
Adina studied medieval court etiquette and learned that "sire" was the standard term for addressing a king directly.
Adina 研究中世紀宮廷禮儀後得知，當時直接稱呼國王的標準用語就是「陛下」。
- 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
始祖；祖先
家族或宗族的男性創始人
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.
部落的長老們講述那位偉大祖先的故事——他在數百年前帶領族人翻越了群山。
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.
根據家族傳說，鮑氏一脈的始祖是漢代一位著名的學者。
The portrait in the hallway shows the sire of the noble house, painted in 1620.
走廊上的那幅畫像是這個貴族家族的始祖，繪於 1620 年。
Padma traced her family tree back to its earliest known sire, a farmer who settled in the valley in 1750.
Padma 追溯自己的族譜，找到最早的始祖——一位 1750 年在山谷中定居的農夫。
Vinícius discovered that the sire of his mother's clan had arrived in Brazil aboard a Portuguese ship in 1723.
Vinícius 發現母親家族的始祖是於 1723 年搭乘葡萄牙船隻抵達巴西的。
- 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 — 動詞
- 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
生育；為父
雄性動物繁衍後代；為人之父
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.
這匹屢獲大獎的阿拉伯種馬在職業生涯中已繁衍出超過四十匹健康的小馬。
passive: sired by [parent]
Historical records show that the duke sired three children with his first wife and two with his second.
歷史記載顯示，那位公爵與第一任妻子育有三名子女，與第二任妻子育有兩名。
register: formal/historical use for human fatherhood
The ranch owner was pleased when his prized bull sired twin calves last spring.
去年春天，牧場主人那頭備受驕傲的公牛產下了雙胞胎小牛，令他十分開心。
According to the ancient chronicle, the chieftain sired seven sons before he turned thirty.
根據古代編年史記載，那位酋長在三十歲以前就生了七個兒子。
Breeders hope the new stallion will sire foals with excellent racing speed and stamina.
飼育員希望新的種馬能生出具有優秀賽跑速度和耐力的馬駒。
- 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.