5. (Zoöl.) Any long, slender amphibian of the genus Siren or family
Sirenidæ, destitute of hind legs and pelvis, and having permanent
external gills as well as lungs. They inhabit the swamps, lagoons, and
ditches of the Southern United States. The more common species (Siren
lacertina) is dull lead-gray in color, and becames two feet long.
6. [F. sirène, properly, a siren in sense 1.] (Acoustics) An instrument
for producing musical tones and for ascertaining the number of sound
waves or vibrations per second which produce a note of a given pitch.
The sounds are produced by a perforated rotating disk or disks. A form
with two disks operated by steam or highly compressed air is used
sounding an alarm to vessels in fog. [Written also sirene, and syren.]
Si"ren, a. Of or pertaining to a siren; bewitching, like a siren;
fascinating; alluring; as, a siren song.
Si*rene" (?), n. See Siren, 6.
Si*re"ni*a (?), n. pl. [NL.] (Zoöl.) An order of large aquatic
herbivorous mammals, including the manatee, dugong, rytina, and several
fossil genera.
The hind limbs are either rudimentary or wanting, and the front ones
are changed to paddles. They have horny plates on the front part of the
jaws, and usually flat-crowned molar teeth. The stomach is complex and
the intestine long, as in other herbivorous mammals. See Cetacea (b).
Si*re"ni*an (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any species of Sirenia.
Si*ren"ic*al (?), a. Like, or appropriate to, a siren; fascinating;
deceptive.
Here's couple of sirenical rascals shall enchant ye.
Marton.
Si"ren*ize (?), v. i. To use the enticements of a siren; to act as a
siren; to fascinate.
||Si*ri"a*sis (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;, fr. &?;&?;&?; the Dog
||Star, properly, scorching.] (Med.) (a) A sunstroke. (b) The act of
||exposing to a sun bath. [Obs.] Cf. Insolation.
Sir"i*us (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;, properly, scorching.]
(Astron.) The Dog Star. See Dog Star.
Sir"keer (?), n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of Asiatic cuckoos
of the genus Taccocua, as the Bengal sirkeer (T. sirkee).
Sir"loin` (?), n. [A corruption of surloin. Not so called because this
cut of beef was once jocosely knighted (dubbed Sir Loin) by an English
king, as according to a popular story.] A loin of beef, or a part of a
loin. [Written also surloin.]
Sir"name` (?), n. See Surname.
Si"roc (?), n. See Sirocco. [Poetic] Emerson.
Si*roc"co (?), n.; pl. Siroccos (?). [It. sirocco, scirocco, Ar.
shorug, fr. sharq the rising of the sun, the east, fr, sharaca to rise
as the sun. Cf. Saracen.] An oppressive, relaxing wind from the Libyan
deserts, chiefly experienced in Italy, Malta, and Sicily.
Sir"rah (?), n. [Probably from Icel. sra, fr. F. sire. See Sir.] A term
of address implying inferiority and used in anger, contempt, reproach,
or disrespectful familiarity, addressed to a man or boy, but sometimes
to a woman. In sililoquies often preceded by ah. Not used in the
plural. "Ah, sirrah mistress." Beau. & Fl.
Go, sirrah, to my cell.
Shak.