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sires

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Fathers, male ancestors, or noble forebears; often invoked in heroic and historical poetry to emphasize lineage, tradition, and heritage.

Detailed Definition
Sires is an archaic or poetic word for fathers, forefathers, or male ancestors. Emerson uses it to link the present generation with the Revolutionary past.
Example
Example in poetry:
“When, like our sires, our sons are gone” uses sires as fathers or male ancestors; Gray’s Elegy recalls forefathers in a rural community; “The portraits of their sires darkened in the hall” gives the word ancestral weight; Modern imitation: “We inherit both the courage and the errors of our sires”
Additional Notes
“Sires” is an old-fashioned poetic word for ancestors, and it is less familiar than the modern equivalent.; Found in the poem, Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Also Known As
fathers progenitors ancestors forebears
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