siren

1 of 2

noun

si·​ren ˈsī-rən 

 for sense 3 also  sī-ˈrēn

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

a

: a woman who sings with enchanting sweetness

b

: temptress

c

: temptation sense 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

siren

2 of 2

adjective

si·​ren ˈsī-rən 

: resembling that of a siren : enticing

Did you know?

The sirens were a group of partly human female creatures that lured sailors onto destructive rocks with their singing. Odysseus and his men encountered the sirens on their long journey home from Troy. The only way to sail by them safely was to make oneself deaf to their enchanting song, so Odysseus packed the men's ears with wax, while he himself, ever curious, kept his ears open but had himself tied to the mast to keep from flinging himself into the water or steering his ship toward sure destruction in his desire to see them. A siren today is a sinister but almost irresistible woman. A siren song, however, may be any appeal that lures a person to act against his or her better judgment.

Synonyms

Noun

• enchantress
• femme fatale
• seductress
• temptress

Examples of siren in a Sentence

Noun

the wailing of air-raid sirens

one of history's most famous sirens, Cleopatra charmed both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With lights flashing and sirens blaring, the officers stepped out of their patrol car and proceeded to take part in the Halloween festivities. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Soon after, an ambulance would peel off, sirens ripping through the silence. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Often, the aircraft passing the tower will wing-wag to acknowledge our efforts, and the helicopters will sound a siren salute. —Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Nov. 2023

Emergency vehicle drivers face greater traffic in the city, more soundproofed cars and drivers who sometimes wear earbuds while driving, which often necessitate more siren use. —Melanie Grayce West, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French sereine, from Late Latin sirena, from Latin siren, from Greek seirēn

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1568, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing siren

• siren call
• siren song

Kids Definition

siren

noun

si·​ren

ˈsī-rən,

 for sense 3 also  sī-ˈrēn

1

often capitalized : one of a group of womanlike creatures especially in Greek mythology that lured mariners to destruction by their singing

2

: a tempting woman

3

: a device often electrically operated for producing a loud shrill warning sound

ambulance siren

Etymology

Noun

Middle English siren "a partly female creature in Greek legend whose beautiful singing lured sailors to their deaths," from early French siren and Latin siren (both, same meaning), from Greek seirēn (same meaning)

Word Origin

In the Greek epic poem The Odyssey, Homer tells of the adventures of Odysseus on his voyage home after the Trojan War. One of these adventures involves a couple of sea nymphs, called Sirens, who are half woman and half bird. They attract sailors by the beauty of their singing, which causes the ships to crash on the rocks. To avoid such a fate, Odysseus has his sailors' ears filled with wax so that they cannot hear the Sirens' song. He has himself tied to a mast so that he cannot steer the ship toward the rocks. It works. The ship succeeds in getting past the Sirens, who are then so upset that they drown themselves. The word siren lives on, however. It was taken into Latin, French, and English. It has been used for "a tempting woman," but its chief use is for "a loud-sounding warning device." Its sound is far from beautiful, but it does signal danger.