sistren

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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

Noun

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sistren

  1. (archaic) plural of sister
    • 1570 March 13, Will of David Tyrry Fitz Edmonde[1]:
      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[2], 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[3], 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

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  • 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

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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

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Noun

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sistren (plural sistrens)

  1. (Rastafari) A close female friend, family member, or comrade.

Coordinate terms

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Anagrams

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Middle English

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Noun

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sistren

  1. Alternative form of sustren (plural of suster)