siren

American  

[sahy-ruhn] / ˈsaɪ rən /

noun

• sirens
  plural

1. Classical Mythology. one of several sea nymphs, part woman and part bird, who lure mariners to destruction by their seductive singing.

2. a seductively beautiful or charming woman, especially one who beguiles men.

   a siren of the silver screen.

   Synonyms:

   vamp, temptress, seductress

3. an acoustical instrument for producing musical tones, consisting essentially of a disk pierced with holes arranged equidistantly in a circle, rotated over a jet or stream of compressed air, steam, or the like, so that the stream is alternately interrupted and allowed to pass.

4. an implement of this kind used as a whistle, fog signal, or warning device.

5. any of several aquatic, eellike salamanders of the family Sirenidae, having permanent external gills, small forelimbs, and no posterior limbs.

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adjective

1. of or like a siren.

2. seductive or tempting, especially dangerously or harmfully.

   the siren call of adventure.

verb (used without object)

1. to go with the siren sounding, as a fire engine.

verb (used with object)

1. to allure in the manner of a siren.

siren British  

/ ˈsaɪərən /

noun

1. a device for emitting a loud wailing sound, esp as a warning or signal, typically consisting of a rotating perforated metal drum through which air or steam is passed under pressure

2. (sometimes capital) Greek myth one of several sea nymphs whose seductive singing was believed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks the nymphs inhabited

3. 1. a woman considered to be dangerously alluring or seductive

   2. ( as modifier )

      her siren charms

4. any aquatic eel-like salamander of the North American family Sirenidae, having external gills, no hind limbs, and reduced forelimbs

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sirenlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sirens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of siren

1300–50; Middle English sereyn < Old French sereine < Late Latin Sīrēna, Latin Sīrēn < Greek Seirḗn

Explanation

You know that loud wailing sound coming up the highway behind you? That's the siren on the police car racing along, lights flashing, chasing a speeder (not you, of course). The word comes from the Sirens in ancient Greek mythology, the women whose beautiful singing lures sailors to wreck their ships on the rocks. Remember Odysseus, in The Odyssey of Homer? He had his crew plug their ears and then tie him to the mast, so that he could hear the Siren song but not be destroyed by it. Most women won't mind if you call them a siren — meaning they're dangerously beautiful. Who'd object to that?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

siren sirens

“If there’s a sudden wave of positive Brilliant Earth content on here, it might not be coincidental,” a moderator warned the Reddit community devoted to jewelry, accompanying the message with a siren emoji.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“If I hear a siren, that might change my zen state, but for right now I don’t feel any different.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Based on user feedback, the consensus among officers is that the Whelen Howler is more effective than a traditional siren at getting the attention of drivers,” a Long Beach Police spokesperson said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Field said the first units with the new siren systems will police the downtown Civic Center area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Into the creepy silence came a loud, frantic sound—weeoo-weeoo-WEEOO-WEEOO—and it took Natalie a moment to realize it wasn’t an alarm or a siren.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz

In the past, North Korean missiles have flown over Japan, triggering sirens, smartphone alerts and special programming on television.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

By comparison, modern-day insulated car interiors offer aural bliss, but they’re dampening the sound of emergency sirens, law enforcement agencies maintain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Unverified images on social media show large plumes of smoke and flames rising into the sky in daytime, with air raid sirens howling in the background.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Buskers perform on the city's famous Potemkin Stairs, while sunbathers barely flinch as the sirens sound and explosions rumble in the distance.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

None of us said anything for a while, but we were all sort of grinning now, and looking at each other, still listening for sirens though no sirens would ever come.

From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña