DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

sir

[ sur ]
/ sɜr /

noun

a respectful or formal term of address used to a man: No, sir.
(initial capital letter) the distinctive title of a knight or baronet: Sir Walter Scott.
(initial capital letter) a title of respect for some notable personage of ancient times: Sir Pandarus of Troy.
a lord or gentleman: noble sirs and ladies.
an ironic or humorous title of respect: sir critic.
Archaic. a title of respect used before a noun to designate profession, rank, etc.: sir priest; sir clerk.

Content related to sir

“Sir” And “Madam” Are Shorter Versions Of What Words?Let’s say you want to get the attention of a male clerk in the produce section of the grocery store. Would you say, “Excuse me sire, but could you please explain the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?” (For the answer to that question, read this.) Addressing a stranger as “sire” might raise an eyebrow. But if you said it, you wouldn’t necessarily …
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What’s The #’s Real Name?A hash has referred to stripes on military jackets since as early as 1910. But, in the 1980s, people started using hash to refer to the # symbol.
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Words nearby sir

sipple's syndrome, sippy cup, sips, sipunculid, siqueiros, sir, sir gawain and the green knight, sir roger de coverley, sir sandford, sir wilfrid laurier, sir-reverence

Origin of sir

1250–1300; Middle English; unstressed variant of sire
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for sir's (1 of 2)

sir
/ (sɜː) /

noun

a formal or polite term of address for a man
archaic a gentleman of high social status

Word Origin for sir

C13: variant of sire

British Dictionary definitions for sir's (2 of 2)

Sir
/ (sɜː) /

noun

a title of honour placed before the name of a knight or baronetSir Walter Raleigh
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