Sire , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sired (?);
p. pr. & vb. n.
Siring.]
To beget; to procreate; -- used of beasts,
and especially of stallions.
Sire (?), n. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
1. A
lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [Obs.]
Pain and distress, sickness and ire,
And melancholy that angry sire,
Be of her palace
senators.
Rom. of R. 2. A
tittle of respect formerly used in speaking to elders and superiors, but now only
in addressing a sovereign.
3. A father; the
head of a family; the husband.
Jankin thet was our sire [i.e., husband].
Chaucer.
And raise his issue, like a loving
sire.
Shak.
4. A creator; a maker; an author; an originator.
[He] was the
sire of an immortal strain.
Shelley.
5. The male parent of a beast; --
applied especially to
horses; as, the horse had a good sire.
&fist; Sire is often used in composition; as in grandsire, grandfather; great-grandsire, great- grandfather.
Hear it pronounced