sire

Sire is a term with several related meanings in English. As a noun, it denotes the male parent of an animal, especially a horse. In animal breeding, the sire is the father of a foal, and pedigrees often label the sire and the dam to indicate paternal and maternal lines. The term is used for other animals as well, and it can appear in references to humans in formal or technical contexts.

As a title or form of address, sire refers to a king or other sovereign. In this sense, it is a respectful direct address comparable to lord or sir and is common in historical or ceremonial language. In modern everyday usage, monarchs are typically addressed as Your Majesty, with sire retained mainly in formal, ceremonial, or literary contexts.

As a verb, to sire means to beget offspring; to sire a foal is to father it. In animal breeding, a male that sires many offspring may be described as a prolific sire. The verb can also be used metaphorically to denote origin or creation, such as to sire a movement or movement’s ideas.

Etymology: Sire comes from Old French sire, from Latin senior, meaning elder or older, reflecting its historical sense as a paternal title.