sile

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈsī(ə)l

plural -s

Scottish

: beam, rafter

sile

2 of 6

intransitive verb

"

-ed/-ing/-s

dialectal, chiefly British

: to move especially downward with a flowing or gliding motion

the rain siled down

sile

3 of 6

transitive verb

"

-ed/-ing/-s

dialectal, British

: strain, filter

sile milk

sile

4 of 6

noun (2)

"

plural -s

dialectal, British

: strainer, sieve

sile

5 of 6

"

dialectal variant of soil

sile

6 of 6

noun

"

plural -s

dialectal, British

: spawn or fry of fish (such as herring)

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, perhaps from Old English sȳl pillar, column; akin to Old High German sūl pillar, Old Norse sūl, sūla, Gothic sauls

Intransitive verb

Middle English

Transitive verb

Middle English silen, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish sila to strain, sil strainer, Norwegian sile to strain, sil strainer

Noun (2)

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish & Norwegian sil strainer

Noun

of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse sīld herring

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!