Sir \Sir\, n. [OE. sire, F. sire, contr. from the nominative L.
   senior an elder, elderly person, compar. of senex,senis, an
   aged person; akin to Gr. ??? old, Skr. sana, Goth. sineigs
   old, sinista eldest, Ir. & Gael. sean old, W. hen. Cf.
   Seignior, Senate, Seneschal, Senior, Senor,
   Signor, Sire, Sirrah.]
   1. A man of social authority and dignity; a lord; a master; a
      gentleman; -- in this sense usually spelled sire. [Obs.]
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            He was crowned lord and sire.         --Gower.
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            In the election of a sir so rare.     --Shak.
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   2. A title prefixed to the Christian name of a knight or a
      baronet.
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            Sir Horace Vere, his brother, was the principal in
            the active part.                      --Bacon.
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   3. An English rendering of the LAtin Dominus, the academical
      title of a bachelor of arts; -- formerly colloquially, and
      sometimes contemptuously, applied to the clergy. --Nares.
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            Instead of a faithful and painful teacher, they hire
            a Sir John, which hath better skill in playing at
            tables, or in keeping of a garden, than in God's
            word.                                 --Latimer.
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   4. A respectful title, used in addressing a man, without
      being prefixed to his name; -- used especially in speaking
      to elders or superiors; sometimes, also, used in the way
      of emphatic formality. "What's that to you, sir?"
      --Sheridan.
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   Note: Anciently, this title, was often used when a person was
         addressed as a man holding a certain office, or
         following a certain business. "Sir man of law." "Sir
         parish priest." --Chaucer.
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   Sir reverance. See under Reverence, n.
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	sir
    n 1: term of address for a man
    2: a title used before the name of knight or baronet

	

	SIR
       Selective Information Retrieval

	

	SIR
       Save Instruction Recognition

	

	SIR
       Serial InfraRed (HP)

	

	SIR
       Sicherheit im Rechenzentrum (TPS)

	

	SIR
       Statistical Information Retrieval

	

	SIR
       Sustained Information Rate (SMDS)

	

	SIR

   1.  An early system on the IBM 650.

   [Listed in CACM 2(5):16, May 1959].

   2.  Serial Infrared.  An infrared standard from
   IrDA, part of IrDA Data.  SIR supports asynchronous
   communications at 9600 bps - 115.2 Kbps, at a distance of up
   to 1 metre.

   [Reference?]

   (1999-10-14)

	

	SIRE. A title of honor given to kings or emperors in speaking or writing to 
them.