The meaning of SIR is a man entitled to be addressed as sir —used as a title before the given name of a knight or baronet and formerly sometimes before the given name of a priest.
Sir is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French " Sieur " (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exists in French only as part of "Monsieur" lit. 'my lord'.
Sir is a respectful term used to address a man. Sir is especially likely to be used to refer to a person of higher rank or authority. In this sense, sir is the male equivalent of madam or ma’am. Real-life examples: Waiters or other service workers are very likely to use sir when addressing male customers.
People sometimes say sir as a very formal and polite way of addressing a man whose name they do not know or a man of superior rank. For example, a shop assistant might address a male customer as sir.
SIR definition: 1. used as a formal and polite way of speaking to a man, especially one who you are providing a…. Learn more.
- a polite form of address (spoken or written) to a man. Excuse me, sir!; He started his letter `Dear Sirs, ...'.
From Middle English sir, unstressed form of sire, borrowed from Old French sire (“master, sir, lord”), from Latin senior (“ older, elder ”), from senex (“old”).
“At ease, lieutenant.” “Yes sir, captain.” Sir, I don't think I was speeding. Sir, can you help me with this math problem? Dinner is ready, sir.