sire

sire (form of address)

noun seer Rare

Origin: From Old French sire, a reduced form of seigneur (lord), from Latin senior (elder).

Usage Note

sire is an honorific title used when addressing a king directly in French. Outside royal protocol it sounds archaic. The phrase un triste sire (a sorry individual) is a fixed, mildly pejorative expression still used in everyday French for a dubious or unpleasant person.

Examples

"C'est un triste sire, méfiez-vous."

Natural Translation

He is a sorry individual — be careful.

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