First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1siren
noun si·ren \ˈsī-rən, for 3 also sī-ˈrēn\
: a piece of equipment that produces a loud, high-pitched warning sound
: a woman who is very attractive but also dangerous
Siren : one of a group of female creatures in Greek mythology whose singing attracted sailors and caused them to sail into dangerous water or toward rocks
Full Definition of SIREN
1
often capitalized : any of a group of female and partly human creatures in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their singing
2
3
a : an apparatus producing musical tones especially in acoustical studies by the rapid interruption of a current of air, steam, or fluid by a perforated rotating disk b : a device often electrically operated for producing a penetrating warning sound <an ambulance siren> <an air-raid siren>
4
[New Latin, from Latin] : either of two North American eel-shaped amphibians that constitute a genus (Siren) and have small forelimbs but neither hind legs nor pelvis and have permanent external gills as well as lungs
See siren defined for English-language learners
See siren defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
Origin of SIREN
Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French sereine, from Late Latin sirena, from Latin siren, from Greek seirēn
Related to SIREN
- Synonyms
- enchantress, femme fatale, seductress, temptress
Rhymes with SIREN
Andine, arene, baleen, beguine, Benin, benzene, benzine, Bernstein, between, black bean, boreen, bovine, broad bean, buckbean, caffeine, canteen, carbine, careen, chlorine, chopine, chorine, citrine, codeine, colleen, convene, cotquean, cuisine, dasheen, dauphine, demean, demesne, dry-clean, dudeen, eighteen, Essene, e-zine, fanzine, fascine, fifteen, flavine, fluorine, fourteen, gamine, gangrene, glassine, gyrene, Hellene, hoatzin, horsebean, houseclean, khamsin, Ladin, lateen, latrine, Lublin, machine, malines, marine, moline, moreen, morphine, nankeen, naphthene, Nicene, nineteen, nongreen, obscene, offscreen, on-screen, patine, piscine, poteen, praline, preteen, pristine, propine, Rabin, ratteen, ravine, red bean, routine, saline, saltine, Salween, sardine, sateen, scalene, serene, shagreen, shebeen, Sistine, sixteen, Slovene, snap bean, soybean, spalpeen, string bean, strychnine, subteen, sunscreen, Szczecin, tacrine, takin, taurine, terrene, terrine, thirteen, Tolkien, tontine, tureen, umpteen, unclean, undine, unseen, vaccine, vitrine, wax bean, white bean, windscreen, yestreen, Yibin, zechin
2siren
adjective si·ren \ˈsī-rən\
SIREN Defined for Kids
siren
noun si·ren \ˈsī-rən\
Definition of SIREN for Kids
: a device that makes a loud warning sound <an ambulance siren>
Learn More About SIREN
Browse
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up siren? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).