different between siren vs buzzer

English

Alternative forms

• sirene (dated or archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English siren, from Old French sereine and Latin S?r?n, S?r?na, from Ancient Greek ?????? (Seir?n). The mammalian sense was first attested in French in Dominique Bouhours, Les entretiens d'Ariste et d'Eugène, in 1671. The aquatic salamander sense was originally introduced by Linnaeus in 1766, for a genus of his reptiles.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?sa????n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?sa???n/
• Rhymes: -a??r?n, -a?r?n

Noun

siren (plural sirens or sirenes)

1. (Greek mythology) One of a group of nymphs who lured mariners to their death on the rocks.
2. One who sings sweetly and charms.
3. A dangerously seductive woman.
4. (biology) A member of an order of mammals of Sirenia.
5. (biology) A member of a genus of aquatic salamanders of the family Sirenidae, commonly used for all species subsumed under the family of Sirenidae.
6. (entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Hestina.
7. A device, either mechanical or electronic, that makes a piercingly loud sound as an alarm or signal, or the sound from such a device (first recorded 1879).
   • 1984, Steve Harris, "Aces High", Iron Maiden, Powerslave.

8. (music) A musical instrument, one of the few aerophones in the percussion section of the symphony orchestra (patented as Acme Siren in 1895).
9. An instrument for demonstrating the laws of beats and combination tones.
10. (astronomy, astrophysics) An astrophysical event that can be used for calculating cosmic distances.

Synonyms

• (one who sings sweetly and charms): crooner
• (dangerously seductive woman): See Thesaurus:vamp
• (device for making a sound alarm): klaxon

Derived terms

• siren song
• siren suit
• sirenian
• sirenic

Translations

Verb

siren (third-person singular simple present sirens, present participle sirening, simple past and past participle sirened)

1. To make a noise with, or as if with, a siren.

Adjective

siren

1. Relating to or like a siren.

   Synonyms: bewitching, enchanting, enticing, sirenic

References

• Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

Anagrams

• ESRIN, Isner, Rines, Siner, reins, resin, rines, rinse, risen, serin

Serbo-Croatian

Participle

siren (Cyrillic spelling ?????)

1. masculine singular passive past participle of siriti

English

Etymology

From buzz +? -er.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?b?z?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?b?z??/
• Rhymes: -?z?(?)

Noun

buzzer (plural buzzers)

1. One who, or that which, buzzes; an insect that buzzes.
2. A device that makes a buzzing sound.

   If you think you know the answer to the question, hit the buzzer as fast as you can.

3. (US slang) A police badge.
   • 1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, Penguin 2011, p. 28:

     I flipped my wallet open on her desk and let her look at the buzzer pinned to the flap.

4. (cricket, slang) A run scored from an overthrow.
5. (obsolete) A gossip.

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ??? (buz?)

Translations