sistren

English

Alternative forms

• sistern

Etymology

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. Analysable as sister +‎ -en (plural ending).

Noun

sistren

1. (archaic) plural of sister
   • 1570 March 13, Will of David Tyrry Fitz Edmonde‎:

     My wyfe to have my dwelling house during her widowhood, that is to say, the hall, the parlor, and the small seller: to my sistren Catheryn and Ellen Tyrry their grinding in my myll during their lives, paying noo toll nor multhe money.

   • 2003 April 16 (airdate). Angel (TV series), episode "The Magic Bullet"

     LORNE: Blessings and moon pies, brethren and sistren!

   • 2010 April 26, “The Calm Before the Storms”, in Neo-Neocom‎, retrieved 2012-03-14:

     I see many of the brethren and the sistren are in the same place I was the other night, when Tatyana commented on my gloom.

   • 2011 February 17, Dave Lerner, “I Am Incubator”, in Huffington Post‎, retrieved 2012-03-14:

     Among my brethren and sistren in incubation I count the folks working at places like idealab, betaworks, alleycorp, as well as certain current and former university venture lab specialists I hold in high esteem.

Usage notes

• This form was lost in unmarked use by the sixteenth century. Since then, it has been most often used jocularly together with brethren, as in “brethren and sistren”.

Noun

sistren pl (plural only)

1. (figuratively) The (female) body of members, especially of a sorority or religious order.
   • 1997, Enrico Brizzi, Jack Frusciante Has Left the Band:

     […] teachers, parents, and above all his classmates the seething masses of dutiful zombies and sistren of the Evervirgin Sorority.

Coordinate terms

• brethren

Noun

sistren (plural sistrens)

1. (Rastafari) A close female friend, family member, or comrade.
   • 2014, Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings, Oneworld Publications (2015), page 157:

     Come out of the dark and come into the light, sistren.

Coordinate terms

• bredrin

Anagrams

• Inserts, Stiners, Strines, estrins, inserts, sestrin, sinters, sistern

Middle English

Noun

sistren

1. Alternative form of sustren (plural of suster)