Definitions for SISTERˈsɪs tər

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

sis•terˈsɪs tər(n.)

a female offspring having both parents in common with another offspring; female sibling.
Category: Common Vocabulary, Anthropology
Category: Common Vocabulary, Anthropology
Ref: half sister.
Category: Common Vocabulary, Anthropology
Ref: stepsister.
a sister-in-law.
a woman or girl numbered in the same kinship group, nationality, race, church membership, society, etc., as another.
Category: Common Vocabulary
a thing regarded as female and associated as if by kinship with something else:
The ships are sisters.
a woman member of a religious order whose vows are not as absolute as a nun's. (used as a title for a sister or a nun.)
Category: Religion
Brit. a nurse in charge of a hospital ward; head nurse.
Category: British
a form of address used to a woman or girl, esp. jocularly or contemptuously.
Category: Informal
(adj.)being or considered a sister; related by or as if by sisterhood.
being in close relationship with another:
our sister city across the river.
being one of an identical pair.
Category: Biochemistry

Origin of sister:

bef. 900; < ON systir, c. OE sweoster, OFris, OHG swester, Go swistar; akin to L soror (<*swesor), OIr siur, Skt svasar sister, Gk éor daughter, niece

sis′ter•less(adj.)

Princeton's WordNet

sister, sis(noun)
a female person who has the same parents as another person
"my sister married a musician"
Sister(noun)
(Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a nun (and used as a form of address)
"the Sisters taught her to love God"
sister(noun)
a female person who is a fellow member of a sorority or labor union or other group
"none of her sisters would betray her"
baby, babe, sister(noun)
(slang) sometimes used as a term of address for attractive young women

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

sister(noun)ˈsɪs tər
a girl or woman who has the same parents as another person
I have a sister and two brothers.; Her sister came with her.
sisterˈsɪs tər
a Catholic nun
the sisters in the convent
sisterˈsɪs tər
a woman who shares similar important experiences with you
We are all brothers and sisters in the struggle for human rights.

Wiktionary

sister(Noun)
a daughter of the same parents as another person; a female sibling.
My sister is always driving me crazy.
sister(Noun)
a female member of a religious community; a nun.
Please welcome Sister Smith as she moves from her former congregation to her new congregation.
sister(Noun)
a senior or supervisory nurse, often in a hospital.
Native American leader Chief Seattle urged ecological responsibility, referring to Brother Eagle and Sister Sky in his purported 1854 speech.
sister(Noun)
any woman or girl with whom a bond is felt through common membership of a race, profession, religion or organization, such as feminism.
Connie was very close to her friend Judy and considered her to be her sister.
sister(Noun)
a black woman
sister(Noun)
a form of address to a woman
sister(Noun)
a woman, in certain labour or socialist circles; also as a form of address.
sister(Noun)
Of or relating to an entity that has a special or affectionate, non-hierachical relationship with another.
sister publication, sister city, sister projects
sister(Noun)
In the same class.
sister ships, sister facility
sister(Verb)
To strengthen (a supporting beam) by fastening a second beam alongside it.
Iu2019m trying to correct my sagging floor by sistering the joists.
Sister(Noun)
Title of respect for an adult female member of a religious or fraternal order.
My sister is always driving me crazy.
Sister(Noun)
Formal title for any female member of a religious or fraternal organization. (Compare Miss.)
Please welcome Sister Smith as she moves from her former congregation to her new congregation.
Sister(Noun)
An informal title used as part of another moniker:
Native American leader Chief Seattle urged ecological responsibility, referring to Brother Eagle and Sister Sky in his purported 1854 speech.

Origin: From sister, suster, partly from systir and partly from swustor, sweostor; both from swestēr, from swésōr. Cognate with sister, syster, suster, zuster, Schwester, syster, systir, , soror, сестра, sesuo, Albanian vajzë, .

Webster Dictionary

Sister(noun)
a female who has the same parents with another person, or who has one of them only. In the latter case, she is more definitely called a half sister. The correlative of brother
Sister(noun)
a woman who is closely allied to, or assocciated with, another person, as in the sdame faith, society, order, or community
Sister(noun)
one of the same kind, or of the same condition; -- generally used adjectively; as, sister fruits
Sister(verb)
to be sister to; to resemble closely