Meanings
sib1
comparative sibber · superlative sibbest
- Having kinship or relationship; related by same-bloodedness; kindred.
[…] they are sibber to you than ever Miss Innes was or will be; and if like to bid me, […]
1871 [reprinted 2023], Ellen Ross, The Wreck of the White Bear: Vol. 1, page 2072 more examples
seeing that his Majesty is "sibber to him than all the brothers and sons he has in the world." So far, James Haig had played his part with consummate skill.
1881, John Russell, The Haigs of Bemersyde: A Family History, page 144"You talk about the crook in our Campbell tongue in one breath," said he, "and in the next you would make yourself a Campbell more sib to the chief than I am myself. Don't you think we might put off our little affairs of family history till we find a lady and a child in Strongara?"
1898, Neil Munro, John Splendid: The Tale of a Poor Gentleman and the Little Wars of Lorn, Copp, Clark, page 126 - Akin (to); similar (to).
[…] we are so much the sibber to Christ that we suffer; […]
1637 July 6, Letter CLIV to William Glendinning [from Samuel Rutherford in Aberdeen], published in 1821, Joshua Redivivus; Or, Three Hundred and Fifty Two Religious Letters ... To which is Prefixed a Life of the Author, page 1992 more examples
1701. June 19. Dewar of Lassody against Scott of Spencerfield's Factor and Creditors. […]; and that creditors seemed to be much sibber to these annualrents than the factors.
1826, Scotland. Court of Session, Mungo Ponton Brown, Supplement to the Dictionary of the Decisions of the Court of Session, page 503I like my cousins in Holland immensely, but I feel more sib to the Northerners. Your description of Lofoten is fine. I can see them. They must be enchanting in their way, cod's head and tails or no. There is a fine eau de Javelle smack about a Dutch canal, by the way, that takes[…]
1906, Oliver Elton, Frederick York Powell: A Life and a Selection from His Letters and Occasional Writings, page 249
sib2
plural sibs
- A kinsman; a blood relation; a relative, near or remote; one closely allied to another; an intimate companion.
But she got up to go, and Domenico obeyed me too in mock meekness, making himself sib and coeval to Hortense, submissive to frowning elder brother, something incestuous in it.
1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers - A sibling, brother or sister (irrespective of gender)
- biologyAny group of animals or plants sharing a corresponding genetic relation
sib3
present singular third person sibs · participle present sibbing · participle past sibbed · past sibbed
- transitiveTo bring into relation; establish a relationship between; make friendly; reconcile.
sib4
present singular third person sibs · participle present sibbing · participle past sibbed · past sibbed
- intransitiveclinical psychologyTo engage in repetitive behaviors such as eye-poking, skin-picking, hand-biting, or head-banging.
SIB5
- UKabbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of Special Investigation Branch.
plural SIBs
- abbreviationcountableinitialismuncountableclinical psychologyInitialism of self-injurious behavior.
A treatment consisting of differential reinforcement of compliance and a quiet-hands procedure (repeatedly guiding her to place her hands in her lap for 30 s) contingent on SIB was shown to be effective in reducing Candy’s SIB to low levels during vocational training sessions.
1999, “DECREASING SIGNS OF NEGATIVE AFFECT AND CORRELATED SELF-INJURY IN AN INDIVIDUAL WITH MENTAL RETARDATION AND MOOD DISTURBANCES”, in Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nounone related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
sib · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*sebʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*sibjaz“related”
- Old Englishsibb“related, akin, sib”
- Middle Englishsib
- Englishsib
From Middle English sib, from Old English sibb (“related, akin, sib”), from Proto-Germanic *sibjaz (“related”), from Proto-Indo-European *sebʰ-, *swebʰ- (“one's own”). Cognate with West Frisian besibbe (“related”), Middle Dutch sibbe (“related”), Middle Low German sibbe (“related”), Middle High German sippe (“related”), Icelandic sifi (“related”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →sib · noun
- Proto-Indo-European*sebʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*sibjō“kinship”
- Proto-West Germanic*sibbju
- Old Englishsibb“relationship; gossip; friendliness, kindness; love, friendship, peace, concord, unity, tranquility; peace of mind; a relative, kinsman, kinswoman”
- Middle Englishsib
- Englishsib
From Middle English sib, sibbe, from Old English sibb (“relationship; gossip; friendliness, kindness; love, friendship, peace, concord, unity, tranquility; peace of mind; a relative, kinsman, kinswoman”), from Proto-West Germanic *sibbju, from Proto-Germanic *sibjō (“kinship”), from Proto-Indo-European *sebʰ-, *swebʰ- (“one's own”). Cognate with West Frisian sibbe (“relative, family member”), Dutch sibbe (“sib”), German Sippe (“tribe, clan”), Icelandic sifjar (“in-laws”), Latin suus (“one's own”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →sib · verb
- Proto-Indo-European*sebʰ-
- Proto-Germanic*sibjōną“to reconcile”
- Old Englishsibbian“to make peace; rejoice”
- Middle English*sibben
- Englishsib
From Middle English *sibben, from Old English sibbian (“to make peace; rejoice”), from Proto-Germanic *sibjōną (“to reconcile”), Proto-Indo-European *sebʰ-, *swebʰ- (“one's own”). Cognate with German sippen (“to be in relationship with, become related to”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sib
Anagrams
Cite this entry
sib. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sib
“sib.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sib. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sib,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sib.
Source: sib on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.