sister

—sisterless, adj. —sisterlike, adj.

/sis"teuhr/, n.

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. Brit. a nurse in charge of a hospital ward; head nurse.

9. a fellow black woman.

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

11. Informal. a form of address used to a woman or girl, esp. jocularly or contemptuously: Listen, sister, you've had enough.

adj.

12. being or considered a sister; related by or as if by sisterhood: sister ships.

13. having a close relationship with another because of shared interests, problems, or the like: We correspond with school children in our sister city.

14. Biochem. being one of an identical pair.

[bef. 900; ME (n.) < ON systir; c. OE sweoster, D zuster, G Schwester, Goth swistar; akin to Serbo-Croatian sèstra, Lith sesuõ, L soror ( < *swesor), OIr siur, Welsh chwaer, Skt svasar sister, Gk éor daughter, niece]

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