Sister

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈsɪstÉ™/
• US enPR: sÄ­s'tÉ™r, IPA: /ˈsɪstÉš/
• Rhymes: -ɪstÉ™(r)

Origin

From Middle English sister, suster, partly from Old Norse systir ("sister") and partly from Old English swustor, sweoster, sweostor ("sister, nun"); both from Proto-Germanic *swestēr ("sister"), from Proto-Indo-European *swésōr ("sister"). Cognate with Scots sister, syster ("sister"), West Frisian sus, suster ("sister"), Dutch zuster ("sister"), German Schwester ("sister"), Swedish syster ("sister"), Icelandic systir ("sister"), Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍃𐍄𐌰𐍂 (swestar, "sister"), Latin soror ("sister"), Russian сестра (sestra, "sister"), Lithuanian sesuo ("sister"), Albanian vajzë ("girl,maiden"), Sanskrit स्वसृ (svásṛ, "sister").

Full definition of sister

Noun

1. A daughter of the same parents as another person; a female sibling.My sister is always driving me crazy.
2. A female member of a religious community; a nun.Michelle left behind her bank job and became a sister at the local convent.
3. (British) A senior or supervisory nurse, often in a hospital.
4. Any woman or girl with whom a bond is felt through common membership of a race, profession, religion or organization, such as feminism.Connie was very close to her friend Judy and considered her to be her sister.
• 1985, Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin, Who’s Zoomin' Who?:title Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves
5. (slang) A black woman.
6. (informal) A form of address to a woman.
• What’s up, sister?
7. A woman, in certain labour or socialist circles; also as a form of address.
• Thank you, sister. I would like to thank the sister who just spoke.
8. (attributively) Of or relating to an entity that has a special or affectionate, non-hierachical relationship with another.sister publication, sister city, sister projects''
9. (usually attributively) In the same class.sister ships, sister facility

Synonyms

• (woman or girl with the same parents) slang sis
• (member of religious community) nun, sistren
• (supervisory nurse) charge nurse the male equivalent
• (informal: form of address to a woman) darling, dear, love, US lady, miss, northern UK pet
• (attributively, having a special relationship) affiliate, affiliated

Antonyms

• with regards to gender brother

Hypernyms

• (daughter of common parents) sibling

Derived terms

Related terms

• sororal
• sistren and nun
• brethren or brother
• friar and frater or father

Verb

1. (transitive, construction) To strengthen (a supporting beam) by fastening a second beam alongside it.I’m trying to correct my sagging floor by sistering the joists.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To be sister to; to resemble closely.

Anagrams

• resist, resits, risest