French word

sirène

Pronunciation

IPA/siʁɛn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounsiren

Example

La sirène de la police a retenti.

The police siren sounded.

Illustration for sirène (siren)

More examples

On a entendu la sirène des pompiers ce soir.

We heard the fire engine siren this evening.

Core concept

A sharp, repeating warning cry produced by a machine and heard across a wide area.

Common phrases

  • la sirène des pompiers

    the fire engine siren

  • la sirène de la police

    the police car siren

Similar words

alarme: A warning sound indicating danger in a building or on equipment.
klaxon: A vehicle horn sound, especially from a car or heavy vehicle.
sonnette: A short signal sound produced by pressing a doorbell or similar button.

Definition in French

Signal sonore fort et perçant, ou l'appareil qui émet ce signal, utilisé pour avertir d'un danger ou pour alerter les secours.

Word origin

French borrowed sirène through Latin sirena from Greek Seirēn, originally referring to a mythological singer, and later applied the name to an alarm device.

Usage tips

  • In expressions such as la sirène de la police, de la police identifies the service associated with the alarm rather than its maker.

Other meanings

  • mermaidnoun

Word lists with this word