sire

American  

[sahy^uhr] / saɪər /

noun

• sires
  plural

1. the male parent of a quadruped.

2. a respectful term of address, now used only to a male sovereign.

3. Archaic.

   1. a father or forefather.

   2. a person of importance or in a position of authority, as a lord.

---

verb (used with object)

• sires,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sired,
  past participle,  past
• siring
  present participle

1. to beget; procreate as the father.

sire British  

/ saɪə /

noun

1. a male parent, esp of a horse or other domestic animal

2. a respectful term of address, now used only in addressing a male monarch

3. obsolete a man of high rank

---

verb

1. (tr) (esp of a domestic animal) to father; beget

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sireless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sires
  plural

Participles

• siring
  present
• sired
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sire
  simple
• sires
  simple
• have sired
  perfect
• has sired
  perfect
• am siring
  progressive
• are siring
  progressive
• is siring
  progressive
• have been siring
  perfect progressive
• has been siring
  perfect progressive

Past

• sired
  simple
• had sired
  perfect
• was siring
  progressive
• were siring
  progressive
• had been siring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sire
  simple
• will have sired
  perfect
• will be siring
  progressive
• will have been siring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sire

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French (nominative singular) < Vulgar Latin *seior, for Latin senior senior (compare French monsieur originally, my lord, with sieur < *seiōr-, oblique stem of *seior )

Explanation

A sire is an animal's father. A newborn foal might look very much like his sire, with a white stripe on his brown face. Every once in a while, the word sire is used for a human — your dad is your sire — but it's much more common to find this word describing an animal's male parent. It's also a verb, meaning "to father," as in "My prize pig sires the cutest piglets." In the old days, you'd also use sire to directly address a nobleman or a king. It comes from the Latin word senior, "elder."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sire sires sired siring

Three years on, the Purosangue remains an astonishing presence on any street, a provocation, an outrage, a moral panic—indeed, sire, very like a Ferrari.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Whatever happens at the U.N. next week, his tactics will only wreak greater devastation and sire deeper worldwide alienation from everything he touches.

From Slate ● Sep. 3, 2025

A corner stall in the stallion barn still bears Secretariat’s name and that of his sire, Bold Ruler, among those of other elites who have inhabited the space.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2023

With a race as long as the Belmont, one factor to consider is horses whose sire have excelled at producing distance-loving runners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2023

But while many of Man o’ War’s get were the best of their generations, none compared to their sire.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

The mare was sired by Northern Dancer, the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby in 1964 who went on to become one of the sport’s greatest sires.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 6, 2023

You need look no further than their sires to see the thinking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2021

Rickard said this compared to recently frozen semen from 19 sires used to inseminate 1,048 ewes, of which 618 were successfully impregnated.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 18, 2019

Oatley and his colleagues are now working to develop surrogate pig sires.

From Nature ● Mar. 13, 2019

Now, as the Biscuit challenged War Admiral, Hard Tack’s fee was $1,000, comparable to that of some of the nation’s most prominent sires.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

On his deathbed, however, he had a change of heart and left his fortune to the creation of a refuge for children like the one he sired and abandoned.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

He was sired by Curlin with Mopotism as the mare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2025

It was first top-level Group One winner to be sired by 2015 Derby winner Golden Horn.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025

Mouse pups sired by dysbiotic fathers showed significantly lower birth weights and an increased rate of postnatal mortality.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2024

And I saw Leda, wife of Tyndareus, upon whom Tyndareus had sired twins indomitable: Kastor, tamer of horses, and Polydeukes, best in the boxing ring.

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

It claimed he established a secret guerilla headquarters on the forested slopes, siring his son there between battles with the Japanese.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 10, 2023

Paramount Global has created numerous spin-offs of its main cable channels, with Nickelodeon siring five programming offspring, Nick Jr., Nick at Nite, TeenNick, Nicktoons and Nick Music.

From Reuters ● Sep. 14, 2023

Tom, he said, had survived a poisoning attempt and spent years siring a generation of truffle dogs before dying in Mr. Tomassetti’s arms.

From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2023

There would likely still have been a sectarian power struggle over a weakened state, siring a civil war and brewing regional tensions.

From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2018

To me has been given the privilege of siring a man, and I shall not affront him with requests for further favors.

From The Pride of Palomar by Kyne, Peter B. (Peter Bernard)