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

Oleksandr Avstriievskykh, 65, was in his fifth-floor apartment around midnight when the air raid siren went off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

“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

Los Angeles police are rolling out a new siren, and you don’t just hear it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

They’re on their way to an emergency with the siren blaring, but a driver fails to clear the path for the police cruiser.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Somewhere near, in this craziness that is The Angels, I hear a siren.

From "Beast Rider" by Tony Johnston & María Elena Fontanot de Rhoads

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

Today’s drivers aren’t hearing sirens, law enforcement agencies contend, because modern vehicles are adept at noise-blocking.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The booming, 10-inch speaker device is intended to connect with drivers who, in the view of law enforcement, are yielding less frequently to emergency sirens.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Tourists and residents of Arkhipo-Osipovka told local media outlets that no sirens sounded ahead of the drone attack.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

It’s okay to wear earmuffs when sirens are piercing.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari