Definition of siren Siren

/sajˈɹʌn/ - [sayrun] - si•ren

We found 24 definitions of siren from 7 different sources.

What does siren mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: sirens
siren - eellike aquatic North American salamander with small forelimbs and no hind limbs; have permanent external gills
		salamander any of various typically terrestrial amphibians that resemble lizards and that return to water only to breed
siren - an acoustic device producing a loud often wailing sound as a signal or warning
		acoustic device a device for amplifying or transmitting sound
siren - a sea nymph (part woman and part bird) supposed to lure sailors to destruction on the rocks where the nymphs lived; "Odysseus ordered his crew to plug their ears so they would not hear the Siren's fatal song"
		sea nymph (Greek mythology) a water nymph who was the daughter of Oceanus or Nereus
siren - a warning signal that is a loud wailing sound
siren - a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive
		enchantress, temptress, Delilah, femme fatale

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Wiktionary

siren (Noun)
Original sense One of a group of nymphs who lured mariners to their death on the rocks.
siren (Noun)
A device, either mechanical or electronic, that makes a piercingly loud sound as an alarm or signal, or the sound from such a device.
siren (Noun)
A dangerously seductive woman.
siren (Noun)
A common name for salamanders of Siren and Sirenidae.
siren (Noun)
A common name for mammals of Sirenia.
siren (Adjective)
Relating to or like a siren.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

siren (n.)
One of three sea nymphs, -- or, according to some writers, of two, -- said to frequent an island near the coast of Italy, and to sing with such sweetness that they lured mariners to destruction.
siren (n.)
An enticing, dangerous woman.
siren (n.)
Something which is insidious or deceptive.
siren (n.)
A mermaid.
siren (n.)
Any long, slender amphibian of the genus Siren or family Sirenidae, destitute of hind legs and pelvis, and having permanent external gills as well as lungs. They inhabit the swamps, lagoons, and ditches of the Southern United States. The more common species (Siren lacertina) is dull lead-gray in color, and becames two feet long.
siren (n.)
An instrument for producing musical tones and for ascertaining the number of sound waves or vibrations per second which produce a note of a given pitch. The sounds are produced by a perforated rotating disk or disks. A form with two disks operated by steam or highly compressed air is used sounding an alarm to vessels in fog.
siren (a.)
Of or pertaining to a siren; bewitching, like a siren; fascinating; alluring; as, a siren song.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

siren
A woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive.
siren
A device, either mechanical or electronic, that makes a piercingly loud sound as an alarm or signal.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

siren
sī′ren, n. (Gr. myth.) one of certain sea-nymphs who sat on the shores of an island between Circe's isle and Scylla, near the south-western coast of Italy, and sang with bewitching sweetness songs that allured the passing sailor to draw near, only to meet with death: a fascinating woman, any one insidious and deceptive: an instrument which produces musical sounds by introducing a regularly recurring discontinuity into an otherwise steady blast of air: an instrument for demonstrating the laws of beats and combination tones: an eel-like, amphibious animal, with only one pair of feet, inhabiting swamps in the southern states of North America.—adj. pertaining to, or like, a siren: fascinating.—n. Sirē′nia, an order of aquatic mammals now represented by the dugong (Halicore) and the manatee (Manatus).—adj. Sirē′nian.—v.i. Sī′renise, to play the siren. [L. siren—Gr. seirēn, prob. seira, a cord.]

Wikipedia

A siren is a creature in Greek mythology. The sirens were living on an island surrounded by rocks. Sailors would try to go to them because of their singing, and their ships would get destroyed on the rocks, and they would drown.

Originally they looked like bird-women, but in modern time they are often shown to look like fish-women or mermaids. Many people said they were Naiads (spirits of the sea).

They also appear in Homer's "Odyssey". There Odysseus and his ship have to pass the siren's island. Odysseus tells his men to put wax in their ears, so they will not hear the song of the sirens. He also tells his men to bind him to the ship's mast, so he cannot go to the sirens when he hears their song. When Odysseus and his men pass the Sirens, Odysseus wants to go towards them, but his men pull the rope tighter to hold him down. His men can then look at Odysseus and see when he cannot hear the sirens anymore, because he is calm again. Then they can take the wax out of their ears, and free Odysseus.
noisemaker
A siren is a device that is able to produce a loud noise. Sirens can be found on emergency vehicles, like ambulances. People also installed them on buildings, to warn of tornados, or air raids.

Part of speech

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siren, noun, singular of sirens.

Pronunciation

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Sign Language

siren in sign language