sire

Everyday

1. (old-fashioned) Sire was a way of speaking to a king, like «Your Majesty»: «Yes, sire.» tree →
2. The sire of an animal, especially a horse or dog, is its father. tree →
3. (verb) To sire means to be the father of a young animal (or, in old writing, of a child). tree →
4. (old-fashioned) Sire was also an old word for a lord or a father. tree →

In the lessons

In fairy tales and historical stories, servants and knights say «sire» to the king. In farming, horse racing and dog breeding, the sire is the father and the dam is the mother. Phrases: «Yes, sire», the sire of the foal, sired by.

Examples

• «Your horse is ready, sire,» said the stable boy. tree →
• «Forgive me, sire,» the knight said, bowing to the king. tree →
• The famous racehorse sired many champion foals. tree →
• The puppy's sire was a prize-winning sheepdog. tree →
• The farmer chose a strong bull to sire the calves. tree →
• In the old tale, the prince's sire was a wise king. tree →
• “Sire, I have obeyed your orders. tree →

Note

Said like «sigh-er» (one or two beats). Do not confuse with «sir» (polite word for any man) — «sire» is only for kings or very old style. Animal parents: sire = father, dam = mother. Regular verb: sired, siring.