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 Words From

• sister·less adjective
• sister·like adjective
• non·sister noun adjective

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

“Many of my brothers and sisters got killed in my time,” she said, “so I don’t care who doesn’t like it. I’m going to tell it.”

From Los Angeles Times

"My sister, three years younger than me, has suffered from panic disorder for many years. She continues to inspire my research questions and my dedication to answering them."

From Science Daily

Marriott had a bucket station in her sister’s basement, where she immediately put her flowers after getting home from the market.

From Los Angeles Times

In one early scene, she voices her preference for maneuvering around Shiz University, where she’s just enrolled, without help — a desire wholly understood by her sister, if not their overbearing father or the campus staff.

From Los Angeles Times

In the 1990s and 2000s, the sisters had a knack for building community at shows and online, with Tegan in particular feeling a responsibility to their fans.

From New York Times

Related Words

• relative
• twin