siren

1 of 2

noun

si·​ren ˈsī-rən How to pronounce siren (audio)
 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
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 How to pronounce siren (audio)
: 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.

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
Each time Brock made a turn, the cruiser mirrored his move — but the deputy inside didn’t turn on the lights or sirens and didn’t try to pull him over, Brock said. Keri Blakinger, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 In the dashboard video, the deputy begins pursuing Cure with his sirens on after Cure’s vehicle passes his. Steve Almasy, CNN, 27 Feb. 2024 In Greek mythology, Parthenope – as she is known in English – is the name of a siren who, having failed to entice Odysseus with her songs, cast herself into the sea and drowned. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 The vehicle turned southbound as the fire truck, with lights and sirens engaged, passed through an intersection, police said. Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024 The officer was using blue lights and sirens when the crash occurred, a Gaston County news release said. Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2024 The suspects ran when police approached the Jeep with their lights and sirens on. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 In at least six cases, witnesses and victims disputed police accounts of crashes, including claims about speed and use of emergency lights or sirens. USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 When a deputy caught up with the vehicle, the driver did not at first respond to emergency lights and sirens, authorities said. Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 16 Feb. 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

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'siren.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of siren was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near siren

Cite this Entry

“Siren.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siren. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

siren

noun
si·​ren
ˈsī-rən,
 for sense 3 also  sī-ˈrēn
1
often capitalized : one of a group of womanlike creatures 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.

More from Merriam-Webster on siren

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!