Siamese

American  

[sahy-uh-meez, -mees] / ˌsaɪ əˈmiz, -ˈmis /

adjective

1. of or relating to Siam, its people, or their language.

2. the former term for Thai.

3. twin; closely connected; similar.

4. Informal. dual; combined; twofold or two-way.

   a Siamese sprinkler.

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noun

Siamese plural

1. a native of Siam.

2. former name of Thai.

3. Siamese cat.

4. (usually lowercase) a standpipe placed outside a building close to ground level, having two or more openings so that fire engines can pump water to the sprinkler system of the building.

Siamese British  

/ ˌsaɪəˈmiːz /

noun

1. See Siamese cat

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adjective

1. characteristic of, relating to, or being a Siamese twin

adjective

1. another word for Thai

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Siamese
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Siamese

First recorded in 1685–95; Siam + -ese

Example Sentences

A lifelong animal lover, Kerry also has dogs, cats and a Siamese fighting fish called Gomez - but warned axolotls require careful upkeep.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Holly Hennessey, from Florida, has been travelling with her six-year-old Siamese cat, Captain.

From BBC • Sep. 30, 2024

Then I remember we adopted a pair of Siamese cats that had become homeless somehow.

From Salon • Sep. 28, 2024

The least expensive were the Russian blue and the Siamese.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2024

If they were where they could talk, Toby thought to himself, one of them would be starting a sentence and the other finishing it—as if they had Siamese brains, or something.

From "The Egypt Game" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder