sister

[sis-ter]

noun

1. a female offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; female sibling.

2. Also called half sister. a female offspring having only one parent in common with another offspring.

3. stepsister.

4. a female friend or protector regarded as a sister.

5. a thing regarded as feminine and associated as if by kinship with something else.

   The ships are sisters.

6. a female fellow member, as of a church.

7. a female member of a religious community that observes the simple vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

8. British.,  a nurse in charge of a hospital ward; head nurse.

9. Informal.,  a term used to refer to or address a fellow Black woman; soul sister.

10. a woman who supports, promotes, or participates in feminism.

11. Informal.,  a form of address used to a woman or girl, especially jocularly or contemptuously.

    Listen, sister, you've had enough.

adjective

1. being or considered a sister; related by or as if by sisterhood.

   sister ships.

2. having a close relationship with another because of shared interests, problems, or the like.

   We correspond with school children in our sister city.

3. Biochemistry.,  being one of an identical pair.

sister

/ ˈsɪstə /

noun

1. a female person having the same parents as another person

2. See half-sister stepsister

3. a female person who belongs to the same group, trade union, etc, as another or others

4. informal,  a form of address to a woman or girl, used esp by Black people in the US

5. a senior nurse

6. RC Church a nun or a title given to a nun

7. a woman fellow member of a Church or religious body

8. (modifier) belonging to the same class, fleet, etc, as another or others

   a sister ship

9. (modifier) biology denoting any of the cells or cell components formed by division of a parent cell or cell component

   sister nuclei

Other Word Forms

• sisterless adjective
• sisterlike adjective
• nonsister noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sister¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English (noun) from Old Norse systir; cognate with Old English sweoster, Dutch zuster, German Schwester, Gothic swistar; akin to Serbo-Croatian sèstra, Lithuanian sesuõ, Latin soror (from unattested swesor ), Old Irish siur, Welsh chwaer, Sanskrit svasar “sister,” Greek éor “daughter, niece”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sister¹

Old English sweostor; related to Old Norse systir, Old High German swester, Gothic swistar

Example Sentences

Employment Judge Michael Magee said that Ms Lanuszka's dismissal coincided with the permanent move to the UK of the business owner's sister.

From BBC

Her sister also signed a contract extension last January, one that was intended to keep her with the team through 2028.

From Los Angeles Times

She and her husband Herbert “Bertie” Pelham are happily raising two children and she has become a voice of reason for Mary, offering counsel to the sister who once overshadowed her.

From Los Angeles Times

When I was younger, people would be like: 'Is his sister coming?'

From BBC

They'll be joined by sisters from Edinburgh and a mother and daughter-in-law duo from Yorkshire.

From BBC

Related Words

• relative 
• twin