sir

[ sur ]
See synonyms for sir on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. (initial capital letter) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy.

  2. a lord or gentleman: noble sirs and ladies.

  3. an ironic or humorous title of respect: sir critic.

  4. Archaic. a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc.: sir priest; sir clerk.

Origin of sir

1
1250–1300; Middle English; unstressed variant of sire

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sir in a sentence

  • I gazed up at sir S. as enticingly as I knew how, and there was a look in his eyes that frightened me a little.

    The Heather-Moon | C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
  • sir S. would have glowered; but I laughed, and out came the hairpins, for the good of the game.

    The Heather-Moon | C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
  • sir S. knew all about this carving, and said that Americans had offered two thousand pounds for the stone.

    The Heather-Moon | C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
  • Several ideas presented themselves with a bow: a wish to be happy: but that wasn't "concrete" enough, as sir S. would say.

    The Heather-Moon | C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson
  • sir S. told me her history, and waked the sad old place to living interest.

    The Heather-Moon | C. N. Williamson and A. M. Williamson

British Dictionary definitions for sir (1 of 2)

sir

/ (sɜː) /


noun
  1. a formal or polite term of address for a man

  2. archaic a gentleman of high social status

Origin of sir

1
C13: variant of sire

British Dictionary definitions for Sir (2 of 2)

Sir

/ (sɜː) /


noun
  1. a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Raleigh

  2. archaic a title placed before the name of a figure from ancient history

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012