Etymology dictionary
sincerely (adv.) — sitar (n.)
sincerely (adv.)
1530s, "correctly;" 1550s, "honestly, with truth," from sincere + -ly (2). As a subscription to letters, recorded from 1702.
sinciput (n.)
"forepart of the head, upper front part of the dome of the skull," 1570s, from Latin sinciput "head, brain," etymologically "half a head" (also used for "one of the smoked cheeks of a pig"); from semi- "half" (see semi-) + caput "head" (from PIE root *kaput- "head"). Opposed to the occiput "back of the head" (see occipital). Related: Sincipital.
sin city (n.)
"community, city, or part of a city considered as a hotbed of vice," by 1940 (in advertisement descriptions of the fictional Wild West town in "Destry Rides Again" (1940, in which Marlene Dietrich was "A wild untamed fire-ball, the queen of the Sin City of the Old West!!"); see sin (n.) + city (n.).
In reference to actual cities, the term has been associated with Las Vegas from 1960, but in earlier headline use (and other movie ads) it referred to Lavallette, N.J. (1949), Baghdad (1950), Great Falls, Montana (1952), Baghdad again (1953), "a block-long strip in suburban Calumet City" outside Chicago (1953), Odessa, Texas (1953, referring to "not too many years ago"), and especially Phenix City, Alabama (1953-54). An itinerant preacher is said to have used it in 1956 in reference to Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Times, Feb. 20).
sine (n.)
one of the three fundamental functions of trigonometry, 1590s (in Thomas Fale's "Horologiographia, the Art of Dialling"), from Latin sinus "fold in a garment, bend, curve, bosom" (see sinus). The Latin word was used mid-12c. by Gherardo of Cremona's Medieval Latin translation of Arabic geometrical texts to render Arabic jiba "chord of an arc, sine" (from Sanskrit jya "bowstring"), which he confused with jaib "bundle, bosom, fold in a garment." The engineering sine wave is attested from 1915.
sine (adv., conj.)
"after that, afterward," obsolete, from Middle English sine, syne," ultimately a variant of since; also see syne, which is the Scottish form.
sinecure (n.)
1660s, "church benefice with an emolument but without parish duties," from Medieval Latin beneficium sine cura "benefice without care" (of souls), from Latin sine "without" (see sans) + cura, ablative singular of cura "care" (see cure (n.1)). Related: Sinecural.
sine die
"indefinitely," Latin, literally "without (fixed) day," from sine "without" (see sans) + ablative singular of dies "day" (from PIE root *dyeu- "to shine"). Used of adjournments without any specified day or time for reassembling.
sine prole
legal Latin, "without issue," from sine "without" (see sans) + prole, ablative of proles "offspring" (see prolific).
sine qua non
"an indispensable condition," Latin, literally "without which not," from sine "without" (see sans) + qua, ablative fem. singular of qui "which" (from PIE root *kwo-, stem of relative and interrogative pronouns), + non "not" (see non-). Feminine to agree with implied causa. The Latin phrase is common in Scholastic use. Sometimes a masculine form, sine quo non, is used when a person is intended. Proper plural is sine quibus non.
sinew (n.)
"cord or tendon of the body," connecting a muscle to a bone or other body part, Middle English sineu, from Old English seonowe, oblique form of nominative sionu "sinew," from Proto-Germanic *sinwō (source also of Old Saxon sinewa, Old Norse sina, Old Frisian sine, Middle Dutch senuwe, Dutch zenuw, Old High German senawa, German Sehne), from PIE root *sai- "to tie, bind" (source also of Sanskrit snavah "sinew," syati, sinati "to bind;" Avestan snavar, Irish sin "chain;" Hittite ishai-/ishi- "to bind").
sinewy (adj.)
late 14c., "made of sinews" (a sense now obsolete), from sinew + -y (2). As "brawny, muscular, robust," from early 15c. As "tough, stringy" from 1570s.
sinfonia (n.)
1773, "overture to an Italian opera;" by 1828 in English as the Italian form of symphony; from Italian sinfonia, from Medieval Latin symphonia (see symphony).
sing (n.)
"an act of singing, an entertainment of song," especially collective, 1850, from sing (v.).
sing (v.)
Middle English singen, from Old English singan "to chant, sing," especially in joy or merriment; "celebrate, or tell in song" (class III strong verb; past tense sang, past participle sungen), from Proto-Germanic *sengwan (source also of Old Saxon singan, Old Frisian sionga, Middle Dutch singhen, Dutch zingen, Old High German singan, German singen, Gothic siggwan, Old Norse syngva, Swedish sjunga), from PIE root *sengwh- "to sing, make an incantation." Also used in late Old English of birds and wolves, and sometimes in Middle English also "play on a musical instrument."
There are said to be no related forms in other languages, unless perhaps it is connected to Greek omphe "voice" (especially of a god), "oracle;" and Welsh dehongli "explain, interpret." The typical Indo-European root for "to sing" is represented by Latin canere (see chant (v.)). Other words meaning "sing" derive from roots meaning "cry, shout," but Irish gaibim is literally "take, seize," with sense evolution via "take up" a song or melody.
The sense of "utter enthusiastically" (of praises, etc.) is from 1560s. The criminal slang sense of "to confess to authorities" is attested as early as 1610s, but modern use probably is a fresh formation early 20c. To sing for one's supper, implying lack of funds, is by 1745.
singe (v.)
Middle English sengen, from Old English sengan, sæncgan "to burn (something) lightly or superficially, burn the edges" (of hair, wings, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *sangjanan (source also of Old Frisian of-sendza, Middle Dutch singhen, Dutch zengen, Old High German sengan, German sengen "to singe"). The root is said to be related to that of sing (v.), on the idea of some sort of sound produced by singeing (Century Dictionary), but Klein's sources reject this. Related: Singed; singeing. Singed cat "cat disfigured by singed fur," hence "person whose appearance does not do him justice, person who is 'better than he looks' " is from 1827.
sing-along
1959, noun and adjective, from verbal phrase; see sing (v.) + along (adv.). Originally associated with U.S. music producer Mitch Miller (1911-2010).
Singapore
from Sanskrit Simhapuram "Lion City," from simhah "lion" (compare Singh) + puram "city," from PIE *tpolh- "citadel, fortified high place" (see polis). The name is perhaps folk-etymology, or metaphoric of something, as no lions are found there. Related: Singaporean. The Singapore sling cocktail is attested from 1930; said on the island to have been invented there 1915 by a barman named Ngian Tong Dron.
singer (n.)
c. 1300, "one who makes music with the voice, a singer," male or female (mid-13c. as a surname), agent noun from sing (v.). It replaced Old English songer "psalm-writer," sangere "singer, poet" (also see songster). Fem. form singestre is attested from early 13c. (translating Latin cantrix); singeresse is from late 14c.
Singh
common surname and middle name in North India, later (1699) adopted by Sikhs as a title after their initiation ceremony, also a surname adopted by male Sikhs; 1620s in English, from Hindi Singh, from Sanskrit simhah "lion."
Singhalese
see Sinhalese.
single (adj.)
early 14c., "unmarried," from Old French sengle, sangle "alone, unaccompanied; simple, unadorned," from Latin singulus "one, one to each, individual, separate" (usually in plural singuli "one by one"), from PIE *semgolo‑, suffixed (diminutive?) form of root *sem- (1) "one; as one, together with."
The meaning "consisting of one unit, individual, unaccompanied by others" is from late 14c., often merely emphatic. The meaning "undivided" is from 1580s. Single-parent (adj.) is attested from 1966.
single (n.)
c. 1400, "unmarried person," mid-15c., "a person alone, an individual," from single (adj.). Of single things from 1640s. From the broad sense of "that which is single" it was given various technical meanings from 16c.
The sports senses are attested from 1851 (cricket, "hit for which one run is scored") and 1858 (baseball, "one-base hit"). The meaning "one-dollar bill" is by 1936. The meaning "phonograph record with one song on each side" is from 1949. The sense of "unmarried swinger" is from 1964; singles bar, catering to the young and unmarried, is attested from 1969. An earlier modern word for "unmarried or unattached person" is singleton (1937).
single (v.)
"to separate from the herd" (originally in hunting, often with forth or out), "select individually from among a number," 1570s, from single (adj.). The baseball sense of "make a one-base hit" is from 1899 (from the noun meaning "one-base hit," which is attested from 1858). Related: Singled; singling.
single-handed (adj.)
1709, "done alone, acting or working without the aid of others," from single (adj.) + -handed. The meaning "capable of being used by one hand only" is from 1834; that of "using one hand only" is from 1844. Related: Single-handedly.
singlehood (n.)
"state of being unmarried," 1840; see single (adj.) + -hood.
single-minded (adj.)
1570s, "sincere, honest, free from duplicity;" see single (adj.) + -minded. The meaning "having a single aim or purpose, unswerving, undeviating" is by 1860. Related: Single-mindedly; single-mindedness. Single-hearted (1570s) is only in the sense of "having a sincere or honest heart."
singlet (n.)
"unlined woolen garment," c. 1746, from single (adj.) in the clothing sense of "unlined, of one thickness" (late 14c.) + -et, apparently in imitation of doublet. In later use especially such a garment worn as an undershirt or under-vest.
singleton (n.)
1876, "single card of a suit in a hand; a hand containing only one card of a suit," originally in whist, from single (adj.); compare simpleton, etc. Extended early 20c. to other instances of singularity.
singly (adv.)
c. 1300, sengli, "individually, separately," from single (adj.) + -ly (2).
sing-song (adj.)
also singsong, of music, prayers, etc., "monotonously repetitive and unvarying," 1734, from earlier use as a noun meaning "a jingling ballad" (c. 1600), from sing (v.) + song (n.).
singspiel (n.)
kind of musical performance popular in Germany late 18c., a precursor of the German opera, 1876, from German Singspiel, literally "a singing play," from singen "to sing" (see sing (v.)) + Spiel "a play" (see spiel).
singularity (n.)
early 13c., singularite, "unusual or exceptional behavior;" mid-14c as "singleness of aim or purpose, devotion to a single thing;" late 14c. as "individual or particular things," from Old French singulerte "peculiarity" (12c., Modern French singularité) and directly from Late Latin singularitatem (nominative singularitas) "a being alone," from singularis "single, solitary, one by one, one at a time; peculiar, remarkable," from singulus "one, one to each, individual, separate" (see single (adj.)).
The meaning "fact of being different from others" is attested from c. 1500. The mathematical sense of "point at which a function takes an infinite value" is from 1893. Astrophysics sense, "point of space where the density of matter or the curvature of space-time becomes infinite" (as in a black hole), is attested from 1965.
singular (adj.)
mid-14c., singuler, "alone, apart; being a unit; special, unsurpassed," from Old French singuler "personal, particular; distinctive; singular in number" (12c., Modern French singulier) or directly from Latin singularis "single, solitary, one by one, one at a time; peculiar, remarkable," from singulus "one, one to each, individual, separate" (see single (adj.)).
In grammar, "relating to one person or thing," late 14c. The meaning "remarkably good, unusual, rare, separated from others (by excellence), uncommon" is from c. 1400 in English; this also was a frequent meaning of Latin singularis. The meaning "out of the usual course, somewhat strange" (shading toward "eccentric, peculiar") is by 1680s.
singularly (adv.)
late 14c., singularli, "exclusively, alone, solely; uniquely; individually; in an unusual way, especially," from singular + -ly (2).
singultus (n.)
a Latin word meaning "a sob; a hiccup; a speech broken by sobs," of uncertain origin or connections. It has been taken in English at different times with the meanings "fit of gasping or convulsive breathing" (early 15c., singult, Chauliac), "a sob" (1580s), "a hiccup" (1754). Related: Singultient; singultous.
Sinhalese (adj.)
also Cingalese, Singhalese, "pertaining to Sri Lanka," 1797, from Sanskrit Sinhala "Sri Lanka, Ceylon," from simhala-, literally "of lions," from simhah "lion." As the name of a language spoken there, it is attested from 1801.
Sinicism (n.)
"Chinese ways, Chinese affectations," by 1842; see Sino- + -ism. Related: Sinicize; Sinification. Sinism was (1860.) proposed for "Chinese institutions collectively."
Sinic (adj.)
"Chinese," 1660s, from Medieval Latin Sinicus, from Sina "China," from Late Latin Sinae (plural) "the Chinese" (see Sino-). Sinitic, built from the Latin stem, is attested by 1859.
sinical (adj.)
"of or relating to sines, pertaining to a sine," 1590s, from sine + -ical.
sinister (adj.)
early 15c., sinistre, "prompted by malice or ill-will; false, dishonest, intending to mislead," with suggestion, report, etc., from Old French senestre, sinistre "contrary, false; unfavorable; to the left" (14c.), from Latin sinister "left, on the left side" (opposite of dexter), a word of uncertain origin. Perhaps meaning properly "the slower or weaker hand" [Tucker], but Klein and Buck suggest it's a euphemism (see left (adj.)) and connected with the root of Sanskrit saniyan "more useful, more advantageous." With contrastive or comparative suffix -ter, as in dexter (see dexterity).
The Latin word was used in augury in the sense of "unlucky, unfavorable" (omens, especially bird flights, seen on the left hand were regarded as portending misfortune), and thus sinister acquired a sense of "harmful, unfavorable, adverse." This was from Greek influence, reflecting the early Greek practice of facing north when observing omens. In genuine Roman auspices, the augurs faced south and left was favorable. Thus sinister also retained a secondary sense in Latin of "favorable, auspicious, fortunate, lucky."
In reference to persons, "deceitful, perfidious," from late 15c. The classical literal sense of "left as opposed to right, in the left side (of the body)" is attested in English from c. 1500. In heraldry (from 1560s) sinister indicates "left, to the left." Related: Sinisterly; sinisterness.
Bend sinister (not bar sinister) in heraldry indicates illegitimacy and preserves the literal sense of "on or from the left side" (though in heraldry this is from the view of the bearer of the shield, not the observer of it; see bend (n.2)).
sinisterly (adv.)
mid-15c., sinistreli, "unfortunately, in an inauspicious or unlucky way," from sinister + -ly (2). By 1540s as "maliciously, malevolently."
sinistral (adj.)
early 15c., sinistralle, "unlucky, adverse" (a sense now obsolete), from Old French senestral, sinistral or Medieval Latin *sinistralis, from Latin sinister "left, on the left side" (see sinister). The meaning "on, of, or pertaining to the left side" is from 1803. Of persons, "left-handed," by 1904. Related: Sinistrally; sinistrality.
sinistrous (adj.)
1570s, "ill-omened, inauspicious, unlucky," from stem of Latin sinister (see sinister) + -ous. Related: Sinistrously.
sinistrorse (adj.)
"turned or turning to the left," 1839, a word wanted by the botanists to describe the direction of spiral structures in nature, from Latin sinistrorsus "toward the left side," from sinister "left" (see sinister) + versus "turned," past participle of vertere "to turn" (from PIE root *wer- (2) "to turn, bend").
By 1837 in French. It was paired with dextrorse, but confusion over what was the proper point of view to reckon leftward or rightward spiraling (the observer or the observed) prevented the word being as useful as it might have been. The earlier adjective was sinistrorsal (by 1823).
sink (v.)
Middle English sinken, from Old English sincan (intransitive) "become submerged, go under, subside" (past tense sanc, past participle suncen), from Proto-Germanic *senkwan (source also of Old Saxon sinkan, Old Norse sökkva, Middle Dutch sinken, Dutch zinken, Old High German sinkan, German sinken, Gothic sigqan), from PIE root *sengw- "to sink."
The transitive use "force or drag gradually downward" (attested from late 12c.) supplanted Middle English sench (compare drink/drench) which died out 14c. The sense of "go in, penetrate" (of a blow, a weapon, etc.) is from c. 1300; by early 14c. as "make a penetrating impression on the mind." Related: Sank; sunk; sinking.
From early 14c. as "be reduced to a lower or worse state;" late 14c. as "fall or fail as from weakness or under a heavy blow." From 1590s as "decrease, be reduced in value, amount, etc." Of the sun, moon, etc., "to set," c. 1600. Of land, "dip downward gradually," by 1726.
Contrasted with swim (v.) since 14c.; the adjectival phrase sink or swim is from 1660s. To sink without a trace is World War I military jargon, translating German spurlos versenkt.
sink (n.)
early 15c., "cesspool, pit for reception of wastewater or sewage," from sink (v.). The meaning "drain for carrying water to a sink" is from late 15c., and the sense of "shallow basin (especially in a kitchen) with a drainpipe for carrying off dirty water" is by 1560s.
The figurative sense of "place where corruption and vice abound, abode or resort of depraved or debauched persons" is from 1520s. In science and technical use, "place where heat or other energy is removed from a system" (opposite of source), from 1855, from the notion of sink as "receptacle of waste matter."
sinking (n.)
mid-15c., "a falling or settling downward," verbal noun from sink (v.). Also as a present-participle adjective. Sinking fund, for the gradual repayment of a debt or replacement of an asset, is from 1724.
sinkable (adj.)
of vessels, "capable of being sunk," 1856, from sink (v.) + -able.
sinker (n.)
"that which sinks or causes to sink," agent noun from sink (v.). It is attested by 1520s as "one who engraves figures or designs, die=cutter;" by 1708 as "one who digs a well or pit." In fishing, "weight attached to the line to make it sink in the water," by 1838. By 1870 in American English as a type of doughnut. Baseball sense of "a pitch or hit that seems to drop markedly" is by 1932.
sinkhole (n.)
also sink-hole, mid-15c., "sewage pit, hole for foul liquids to pass through," from sink (n.) + hole (n.). Also sink-fall. As a geological phenomenon, "cavity formed in the earth in limestone regions by underground erosion," by 1780, from sink (v.).
sink-room (n.)
"room containing a sink," 1869, from sink (n.) + room (n.). In U.S. (New England) especially such a room adjoining a kitchen, hence "scullery."
sink-trap (n.)
arrangement of pipes to allow water to pass but prevent escape of gases, 1875, from sink (n.) + trap (n.).
sinless (adj.)
"guiltless of sin, pure in heart or conduct," Old English synleas; see sin (n.) + -less. Related: Sinlessly; sinlessness. Compare Old Norse syndalauss, German sündenlos.
sinner (n.)
"one who breaks the divine law, one who offends God," mid-14c. (late 13c. in surnames), also "a non-Christian," agent noun from sin (v.). Old English had synngiend in this sense. Wycliffe (1380s) has sinneresse "female sinner" for Latin mulier peccatrix (Luke vii), and this is attested by 1255 as a surname (Juliana le Sunyeres).
Sinn Fein (n.)
1905, from Irish, literally "we ourselves," from Old Irish féin "self," from PIE *swei-no-, suffixed form of root *s(w)e- (see idiom). The movement was founded 1905 by Irish journalist and politician Arthur Griffith (1872-1922).
Sino-
before vowels Sin-, word-forming element meaning "Chinese," 1879, from Late Latin Sinæ (plural) "the Chinese," from Ptolemaic Greek Sinai, from Arabic Sin "China," which is probably from Chinese Ch'in (modern transliteration Qin), name of the fourth dynasty of China (see China). The alternative Sinico- is from the combining form Medieval Latin Sinicus.
Sinologist (n.)
"one versed in the Chinese language or Chinese culture and history," 1814; see Sino- + -logy + -ist. Sinology as "branch of knowledge that deals with the Chinese language and related subjects" is by 1834. Related: Sinological. Sinologue (1853) was "a foreigner who is versed in the Chinese language or Chinese culture and history."
Sinon
in the Aeneid, the name of the Greek who pretended to desert and persuaded the Trojans to take the giant wooden horse into their city; hence "a deceiver by false tales" (1580s).
Sinophobe (n.)
"one who has a violent aversion to Chinese ways or power," 1919, from Sino- + -phobe. By 1872 in French. Related: Sinophobic; Sinophobia (1876). Sinophil "loving or favoring Chinese ways or institutions" is attested by 1894; Sinophile (n.) is by 1900.
sinsemilla (n.)
potent strain of marijuana, 1975, from Mexican Spanish, literally "without seed," ultimately from Latin sine "without" (see sans) + semen "seed" (from PIE root *sē- "to sow").
sinter (n.)
"encrustation on rocks deposited by precipitation from mineral water," at springs, etc., 1780, from German Sinter, which is cognate with English cinder. Related: Sintered; sintering.
sinus (n.)
early 15c., in anatomy, "hollow curve or cavity in the body" (Chauliac), from Medieval Latin sinus, from Latin sinus "bend, fold, curve, a bent surface; a bay, bight, gulf; a fold in land;" also "fold of the toga about the breast," hence "bosom," and figuratively "love, affection, intimacy; interior, inmost part;" a word of unknown origin. De Vaan writes that it is "probably to be connected with" Albanian gji "breast." In 17c.-18c. English writers also sometimes used it in the classical senses of "a bay, gulf, or arm of the sea; a cavity or hole in the earth," but these uses are obsolete.
sinuate (adj.)
"serpentine, wavy, turning or winding in and out" especially of a margin or edge, 1680s, from Latin sinuatus, past participle of sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," from sinus "a curve, winding" (see sinus). Originally of plant leaves, also used of seashells, etc. Compare insinuate.
sinuation (n.)
1650s, "act or fact of winding in and out;" 1670s, "a winding or bending in and out," noun of action or state from Latin sinuatus, past participle of sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," from sinus "a curve, winding" (see sinus).
sinuate (v.)
"to bend or curve in and out," 1848, from Latin sinuatus, past participle of sinuare "to wind, bend, curve," from sinus "a curve, winding" (see sinus). Related: Sinuated; sinuating.
sinuosity (n.)
"character of being sinuous; that which is sinuous or undulates," 1590s; see sinuous + -ity.
sinuous (adj.)
"full of turns and curves, undulating, serpentine," 1570s, from Latin sinuosus "full of curves, folds, or bendings," from sinus "curve, fold, bend" (see sinus). Sometimes in late 19c. especially "morally crooked, deviating from the right." Alternative sinuose in the same sense is by 1829. Related: Sinuously; sinuousness.
sinusitis (n.)
"inflammation of the sinuses," 1896; see sinus + -itis "inflammation."
sinusoid (n.)
1823 in mathematics, "the curve of sines;" 1900 in physiology in reference to a kind of irregular capillary blood vessel, from sinus (q.v.) + -oid. Related: Sinusoidal.
Siouan (adj.)
"pertaining to the Sioux," 1885, from Sioux + -an. Replacing Dakotan.
Sioux
in reference to a family or group of North American native peoples, 1761, from North American French, short for Nadouessioux, sometimes said to be from Ojibway (Algonquian) Natowessiwak (plural), literally "little snakes," from nadowe "Iroquois" ("(big) snakes"). Another explanation traces it to early Ottawa (Algonquian) singular /na:towe:ssi/ (plural /na:towe:ssiwak/) "Sioux," apparently from a verb meaning "to speak a foreign language" [Bright]. In either case, a name given by their neighbors; the people's name for themselves is Dakota.
sip (n.)
"a small drink; act of drinking by small quantities," by 1630s, perhaps c. 1500, from sip (v.). The figurative sense of "a mere taste" is by 1728.
sip (v.)
late 14c., sippen, "drink little by little, drink in small mouthfuls" (sometimes glossing Latin potisso, subbibo), a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from a Continental Germanic word such as Low German sippen "to sip," or from Old English sypian "absorb, drink in," which is related to supan "to take into the mouth a little at a time" (see sup (v.2)). OED writes that it is, "possibly a modification of sup intended to express a slighter action."
Compare Middle English soupen "drink in small mouthfuls, from Old English supan. Also compare Dutch sipperlippen "taste with the tip of the tongue." The transitive sense of "drink (a liquid) in very small mouthfuls" is from c. 1600. Related: Sipped; sipper; sipping.
siphon (v.)
1859, "convey (a liquid) by means of a siphon," from siphon (n.). The figurative sense of "draw off, divert" is recorded by 1940. Related: Siphoned; siphoning; siphonage.
siphon (n.)
late 14c., "water hose; tube for drawing fluid from a swelling," from Latin sipho (genitive siphonis) "a siphon," from Greek siphōn "pipe, tube for drawing wine from a cask," a technical term of unknown origin and uncertain etymology. The meaning "glass or metal tube bent so that one leg is longer, used to drain off liquid by atmospheric pressure" is from 1650s. Related: Siphonal; siphonic. In zoology, a small one is a siphuncle, and a creature that has them is siphuncled.
sir
title of honor of a knight or baronet (until 17c. also a title of priests), c. 1300, a variant of sire (q.v.) that was used originally only in unstressed position. It is not an acronym of anything.
It was generalized as a respectful form of address by mid-14c., and eventually extended to all equals or used without regard for rank. It has been used as a salutation at the beginning of letters from early 15c. As a noun, "person of rank or importance," from 14c.
sire (n.)
c. 1200, a title placed before a name and denoting knighthood, from Old French sire "lord (appellation), sire, my lord," from Vulgar Latin *seior, from Latin senior "older, elder" (from PIE root *sen- "old"). Later sir (q.v.), an alteration of sire, was used for this.
Standing alone and meaning "your majesty" it is attested from early 13c. The general sense of "important elderly man" is from mid-14c.; that of "father, male parent, forefather" (as in grandsire) is from mid-13c., paired with dame. From 1520s as "male parent of a quadruped animal," especially a domestic animal, with dam (n.2) for the female parent.
sire (v.)
"beget, procreate, be the sire of," 1610s, from sire (n.). Used chiefly of beasts, especially of stallions. Related: Sired; siring.
siren (n.)
mid-14c., in classical mythology, "sea nymph who by her singing lures sailors to their destruction," from Old French sereine (12c., Modern French sirène) and directly from Latin Siren (Late Latin Sirena), from Greek Seiren ["Odyssey," xii.39 ff.], one of the Seirēnes, the mythical sisters who enticed sailors to their deaths with their songs, also in Greek "a deceitful woman," perhaps literally "binder, entangler," from seira "cord, rope."
The meaning "mechanical device that makes a warning sound" is recorded by 1879, in reference to steamboats, perhaps from similar use of the French word. It later was extended to such devices for air raids, factory shifts, police cars, etc. In 20c. this use was sometimes spelled sireen.
The figurative sense of "one who sings sweetly and charms and allures" is recorded from 1580s. The classical descriptions of them were mangled in medieval translations and glosses, resulting in odd notions of their appearance. In English they generally were portrayed as harpies, but "In early use frequently confused with the mermaid" [OED]. Also in Middle English the name of a imaginary species of flying serpents, based on glossary explanations of Latin sirenes in Vulgate (Isaiah xiii.22).
For adjectives the Elizabethans tried sirenean, sirenian, sirenic, sirenical, sireny. Ruskin used sirenic, so it might be called the survivor.
Sirius (n.)
brightest star by magnitude, late 14c., from Latin Sirius "the Dog Star," from Greek Seirios, said to mean literally "scorching" or "the scorcher." But other related Greek words seem to derive from this use, and the name might be a folk-etymologized borrowing from some other language. An Egyptian name for it was Sothis. Beekes suggests it is from PIE root *twei- "to agitate, shake, toss; excite; sparkle" if the original meaning of the star-name is "sparkling, flickering."
The connection of the star with scorching heat is due to its ancient heliacal rising at the summer solstice (see dog days). Related: Sirian (1590s). The constellation Canis Major seems to have grown from the star.
sirloin (n.)
early 15c., surloine, shurleyne, surloyne, a cut of beef, from 16c. identified specifically as the upper part of the loin, from French surlonge, literally "upper part of the loin," from sur "over, above" (see sur-) + longe "loin," from Old French loigne (see loin).
The English spelling with sir- dates from 1620s. It is possible that this shift was influenced by sir; surname in 16c.-17c. often was spelled sirname. There is no evidence for the folk-etymology tale that the cut of beef was "knighted" by an English king for its superiority, a tale variously told of Henry VIII, James I, and Charles II. The story dates to 1655 (Fuller, "Church-History of Britain," who writes parenthetically that it was "so knighted, saith tradition, by this King Henry," meaning Henry VIII).
sirocco (n.)
"hot dust-laden wind blowing over southern Italy from the Libyan deserts," 1610s, from Italian sirocco, from vulgar Arabic shoruq "the east wind," from Arabic sharqi "eastern, east wind," from sharq "east," from sharaqa "to rise" (in reference to the sun).
sirop (n.)
an old or French spelling of syrup (q.v.), used later in a specific sense of "sweetened fruit-juice concentrate" (1871).
sirrah
1520s, also sirra, sirha, sirah, etc., a term of address used to men or boys expressing anger or contempt, an archaic extended form of sir. In U.S., siree for sir is attested from 1823 (compare yessir).
sisal (n.)
"rope-making fiber manufactured from agave and other tropical plants, 1883, short for Sisal hemp or grass (1843), from Sisal, the port in Yucatan from which the fiber was exported.
sis-boom-bah
cheerleading chant, by 1924, originally (1867) an echoic phrase imitating the sound of a skyrocket flight (sis), the burst of the fireworks (boom), and the reaction of the crowd (ah).
sissy (n.)
1768, "sister," a colloquial extended form of sis (q.v.). The meaning "effeminate man" is recorded by 1873; the adjective in this sense is from 1891 (sissyish is attested from 1880); hence sissy bar, recorded from 1969. Also in 19c. sometimes a women's or girl's name, short for Cecilia, Priscilla, etc.). Related: Sissiness.
sissify (v.)
"make (a male) effeminate or more effeminate," 1897 (implied in sissified), American English, from sissy + -fy. Related: Sissifying; sissification (1915).
sist (v.)
1640s, a Scottish legal term, "stop, stay or suspend" a proceeding, by or as if by judicial decree, from Latin sistere "to cause to stand" (see assist (v.)).
sister (n.)
mid-13c., suster, "female sibling, a female person in her relation to other children of the same parents," from Old English sweostor, swuster, Northumbrian soester "sister," or a Scandinavian cognate (Old Norse systir, Swedish syster, Danish søster), in any case from Proto-Germanic *swestr- (source also of Old Saxon swestar, Old Frisian swester, Middle Dutch suster, Dutch zuster, Old High German swester, German Schwester, Gothic swistar).
These are from PIE *swesor, one of the most persistent and unchanging root words, recognizable in almost every modern Indo-European language (Sanskrit svasar-, Avestan shanhar-, Latin soror, Old Church Slavonic, Russian sestra, Lithuanian sesuo, Old Irish siur, Welsh chwaer). Greek eor "daughter, cousin" is the surviving relic of the root in that language, perhaps from a dialectal vocative form; it was replaced as "sister" by adelphē (for which see Adelphi). French soeur "a sister" (11c., instead of *sereur) is directly from Latin soror, a rare case of a borrowing from the nominative case.
The forms in -u- persisted through Middle English; for the vowel evolution, see bury. It was used of nuns in Old English, of the Fates from c. 1300, the Muses from late 14c., and of the Pleiades from early 15c.
From late 14c. as "fellow woman," without regard to relationship, "fellow creature, woman sharing the human condition," also "woman engaged in the same activity as another." The meaning "female fellow-Christian, woman of one's own faith" is from mid-15c. In modern use, of a woman in general from 1906; especially in U.S. of "a Black woman" from 1926; and in the sense of "fellow feminist" from 1912. Sister act "variety act by two or more sisters" is from vaudeville (1906).
sisterhood (n.)
late 14c., susterhede, "state of being or having a sister; sisterly relationship," also figurative; from sister + -hood. The meaning "a society of sisters" (usually a religious order) is from mid-15c.; the sense of "women having some common characteristic or calling" is by c. 1600. Sisternity, on the model of fraternity, also was used in 17c. for the "institution or convent society" sense; sistership was tried form this from 1840.
sister-in-law (n.)
"husband or wife's sister; a brother's wife," mid-15c.; see sister + in-law. Older words were husbands-sister, wifes-sister; household-sister also was used.
sisterly (adj.)
"pertaining to, characteristic of, or befitting a sister," 1560s, from sister + -ly (1). Related: Sisterliness.
Sistine (adj.)
"pertaining to (a) Pope Sixtus," from Italian sistino, from Sixtus, the name of five popes, from Latin sextus "sixth" (see Sextus). The "chapel" (called Sistine in English from 1771) is named for Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovere), pope 1471-84, who had it built. The painting by Raphael known as the Sistine Madonna is so called because it also shows Sixtus II, a 3c. martyr and saint; it is better known now for the two cherubs at the bottom of the picture who by 1900 were well-known in isolation from the rest of the picture in engravings, etc.
sistren (n.)
also sistern, an occasional, and obsolete or archaic, plural of sister (n.), Middle English sustern, sustren (c. 1200), perhaps by influence of brethren or of Old English gesweosternu, gesustrenu, adjective forms of the word used as plural nouns.
Sisyphean (adj.)
"pertaining to or resembling the unceasingly recurring and fruitless labors of Sisyphus," 1630s, from Sisyphus + -an. The earlier form was Sisyphian (1590s).
Sisyphus
King of Corinth in classical mythology, famed as "the craftiest of men," he was condemned in the afterlife to roll uphill a stone which perpetually rolls down again; from Latinized form of Greek Sisyphos, a name of unknown origin. Liddell & Scott suggest a reduplication of syphos "the crafty" (with Aeolic -u- for -o-), but Klein calls this folk-etymology.
sitting (n.)
c. 1200, "act or practice of dwelling;" mid-14c., "act of sitting down; fact of being seated," verbal noun from sit (v.). The meaning "a session of a court" is from mid-14c.; that of "a meeting of a body for discussion or transaction of business" is from c. 1400. The meaning "interval during which one sits" (for some purpose, especially to have one's portrait taken) is from 1706.
Sitting-room is recorded by 1771 as "a room in which people sit," in houses it often referred to the parlor or other common room of the family (as contrasted with the bedrooms or kitchen). Sitting room as "sufficient place for sitting in" is by 1881.
sit (v.)
"To be or remain in that posture in which the weight of the body rests upon the posteriors" [OED], Middle English sitten, from Old English sittan "occupy a seat, be seated, sit down, seat oneself; remain, continue; settle, encamp; lie in wait; besiege" (class V strong verb; past tense sæt, past participle seten), from Proto-Germanic *setjan (source also of Old Saxon sittian, Old Norse sitja, Danish sidde, Old Frisian sitta, Middle Dutch sitten, Dutch zitten, Old High German sizzan, German sitzen, Gothic sitan), from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit."
With past tense sat (formerly also set, which is now restricted to dialect, and sate, now archaic); and past participle sat, formerly sitten. The meaning "to have a seat in a legislative assembly" is from late 14c.; in reference to the assembly, "to hold a session," from 1510s. The sense of "pose" for a portrait, etc., is by 1530s.
As short for babysit (v.) by 1966. The specific sense of "occupy a judicial seat" (Old English) is the notion in sit in judgement. The meaning "have a certain position or direction" is from c. 1200; of winds, "to blow from" (a certain quarter), 1590s, from the notion of "to be in."
To sit back "be inactive" is from 1943. To sit on one's hands originally was "withhold applause" (1926), later generalized to "do nothing" (by 1959). To sit around "be idle, do nothing" is by 1915, American English. To sit out "not take part, make oneself an exception" is from 1650s.
sitting (adj.)
"that sits," 1610s, present-participle adjective from sit (v.). Earlier in a now obsolete sense of "fitting," in reference to garments (13c.). Specifically as "that sits in or holds" (an office, etc.) is by 1706. Slang sitting duck "easy target" is attested from 1944 in World War II military jargon; it is attested in the literal sense by 1867 (it is considered not sporting to shoot at one when it is stationary and easily hit). To be sitting pretty is by 1916.
sitar (n.)
long-necked stringed Indian musical instrument, 1845, from Hindi sitar, from Persian sitar "three-stringed," from si "three" (Old Persian thri-; see three) + tar "string" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch"). Related: Sitarist.