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Sir - 6 dictionary results

sir

  [sur]
Use Sir in a Sentence
–noun
1. a respectful or formal term of address used to a man: No, sir.
2. (initial capital letter) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Scott.
3. (initial capital letter) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy.
4. a lord or gentleman: noble sirs and ladies.
5. an ironic or humorous title of respect: sir critic.
6. Archaic. a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc.: sir priest; sir clerk.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME; unstressed var. of sire
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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sir   (sûr)   
n.  
  1. Sir Used as an honorific before the given name or the full name of baronets and knights.
  2. Used as a form of polite address for a man: Don't forget your hat, sir.
  3. Used as a salutation in a letter: Dear Sir or Madam.

[Middle English, variant of sire, sire; see sire.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Sir

Sir\, n. [OE. sire, F. sire, contr. from the nominative L. senior an elder, elderly person, compar. of senex,senis, an aged person; akin to Gr. ??? old, Skr. sana, Goth. sineigs old, sinista eldest, Ir. & Gael. sean old, W. hen. Cf. Seignior, Senate, Seneschal, Senior, Senor, Signor, Sire, Sirrah.]

1. A man of social authority and dignity; a lord; a master; a gentleman; -- in this sense usually spelled sire. [Obs.]

He was crowned lord and sire. --Gower.

In the election of a sir so rare. --Shak.

2. A title prefixed to the Christian name of a knight or a baronet.

Sir Horace Vere, his brother, was the principal in the active part. --Bacon.

3. An English rendering of the LAtin Dominus, the academical title of a bachelor of arts; -- formerly colloquially, and sometimes contemptuously, applied to the clergy. --Nares.

Instead of a faithful and painful teacher, they hire a Sir John, which hath better skill in playing at tables, or in keeping of a garden, than in God's word. --Latimer.

4. A respectful title, used in addressing a man, without being prefixed to his name; -- used especially in speaking to elders or superiors; sometimes, also, used in the way of emphatic formality. "What's that to you, sir?" --Sheridan.

Note: Anciently, this title, was often used when a person was addressed as a man holding a certain office, or following a certain business. "Sir man of law." "Sir parish priest." --Chaucer.

Sir reverance. See under Reverence, n.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Sir
Spanish: señor, caballero,
German: (mein) Herr,
Japanese: ～様
More Translations »

sir 
1297, title of honor of a knight or baronet (until 17c. also a title of priests), variant of sire, originally used only in unstressed position. Generalized as a respectful form of address by c.1350; used as a salutation at the beginning of letters from 1425.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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SIR
1. An early system on the IBM 650.
[Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].
2. Serial Infrared. An infrared standard from IrDA, part of IrDA Data. SIR supports asynchronous communications at 9600 bps - 115.2 Kbps, at a distance of up to 1 metre.
[Reference?]
(1999-10-14)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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SIR
shuttle imaging radar
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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