sister Definition
sis·ter (sis′tər)
noun
- a woman or girl as she is related to the other children of her parents: sometimes also used of animals
- a woman or girl related to one by having a parent in common; half sister
- a stepsister
- a foster sister
- a close female friend who is like a sister
- a female fellow member of the same race, church, profession, organization, etc. sorority sister, soul sister
- a member of a female religious community, usually one with simple vows
- something associated with another of the same kind, model, etc.
- Brit. a nurse, esp. a head nurse
- Informal any woman: often used as a familiar term of address
Etymology: ME < ON systir (akin to OE sweoster > dial. suster), akin to Ger schwester < IE *swesor-, sister (> Sans svasar, L soror, OIr siur) < *sewe-, (one's) own, refl. pron. (see suicide) + *sor-, woman: hence, lit., woman of our (family)
adjective
related or seeming to be related as sisters
sister Synonyms
sister
n.
A female relative having the same parents
sibling, female sibling, stepsister, half sister, foster sister, big sister, kid sister, sis; see also relative.A sister by religious profession
nun, member of a sisterhood, deaconess. A female member of a group
sister Usage Examples
Converse of object
- marry: Three of these brothers ( William, Thomas & Zachariah ) married three sisters ( Nettie, Amanda & Eva Timm ).
- scissor: I think scissor sisters will be around for a while to come yet.
Adjective modifier
- elder: Bogie finds, several murders later, that he has fallen in love with her elder sister.
- twin: Has a twin sister who she very rarely communicates with.
- eldest: The eldest sister, a very fine girl, never raised her large eyes once toward me.
- ugly: She used the ugly sisters to kidnap the Prince because they would do anything to ruin Cinderella's life.
- loving: Beloved wife of the late Thomas Dickson, dearly loved mother of Dorothy and loving sister to Elizabeth, Janet, Agnes and James.
- married: Barstow was away on 10 day's leave up at Cameron Highlands with a married sister.
Modifies a noun
- ship: Some even served on HMS Cavalier or her sister ships.
- destroyer: A sister destroyer is dispatched to assist but neither is in danger of sinking.
- Isabella: He died in France before 13 September 1262, and as his son John died an infant, his sister Isabella succeeded him.
Noun used with modifier
- Bronte: It's tantamount, really, to imagining Bill Clinton as celibate, William Hague as hip or Jackie Collins as a Bronte sister.
- spinster: Someone is needed to interview two spinster sisters in their nineties for a research project in Social History and Folklore.
- ward: However, if you do not wish to be seen by medical students please tell the ward sister or charge nurse.
- nursing: Citations are very occasionally given in full in the Gazette ( e.g. for some nursing sisters who received the MM ).
- my: Charlie added: My sister Cheryl is currently in hospital in Pennsylvania after undergoing routine surgery.
- baby: Then matters went from bad to worse - a baby sister was born.
Possessives
- boyfriend: They only know one, and it's Danny's sister's boyfriend, Ian.
- husband: Our party was enlarged by the presence of my sister's future husband.
Possessives
mother: You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is your mother's near kinswoman.
Browse dictionary entries near sister
- ‹ sissy bar
- ‹ sissy
- ‹ Sisson, C(harles) H(erbert)
- ‹ Sisson, C
- ‹ sissified
- ‹ Sismondi
- ‹ Sisley
- ‹ siskin
- ‹ Sisera
- ‹ Sisco,JosephJohn
- sister-in-law ›
- sisterhood ›
- sisterly ›
- Sistine ›
- Sistine Chapel ›
- sistroid ›
- sistrum ›
- Sisyphean ›
- Sisyphus ›
- sit ›

