sigh
oxford
views updated May 21 2018sigh / sī/ •
v. [intr.] emit a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or a similar feeling: Harry sank into a chair and sighed with relief| [with direct speech] “I'm in a bit of a mess,” Elaine sighed. ∎ fig. (of the wind or something through which the wind blows) make a sound resembling this: a breeze made the treetops sigh. ∎ (sigh for) poetic/lit. feel a deep yearning for (someone or something lost, unattainable, or distant): he sighed for days gone by.•
n. a long, deep, audible exhalation expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or a similar feeling: she let out a long sigh of despair| fig. when the aircraft touched down I breathed a sigh of relief. ∎ fig. a gentle sound resembling this, esp. one made by the wind.
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
Si̇gh
oxford
views updated Jun 11 2018Siṅgh (Skt.,
simha, ‘lion’). Second name of male Sikhs. According to tradition, Gurū
Gobind Siṅgh (hitherto Gobind Rāi) took this surname on
Baisākhī Day 1699 CE. He gave to the
pañj pyāre and to all males subsequently initiated into the
khālsā the name Siṅgh, to emphasize their equality, regardless of
caste, and their courage in battle. See also
KAUR.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions JOHN BOWKER
sigh
oxford
views updated May 14 2018sigh vb. First in ME. pt.
sīʒide,
syhid,
sighed, gerund
syʒing,
sighing (XIII), based on the stem of
sihte,
sīʒte, wk. pt. of †
siche :- OE.
sīćan (orig. str.); of unkn. orig.
Hence sb. XIV.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD