What is a sibling?

Question

I say a sister or brother is a sibling, the person who disagreed with me said a parent can be your sibling too (not in my family!).

Answer 1

Well, it is not that wrong. All you people should look deeper:

SIBLING
1. a brother or sister.
2. Anthropology. a comember of a sib.
3. of or pertaining to a brother or sister: sibling rivalry.
[Origin: bef. 1000; late ME: relative, OE; see sib, -ling1]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
n. One of two or more individuals having one or both parents in common; a brother or sister.
[Middle English, from Old English, from sibb, kinsman; see sib.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
BUT
SIB
1. related by blood; akin.
2. a kinsman; relative.
3. one's kin or kindred.
4. Anthropology. a unilateral descent group.
[Origin: bef. 900; ME sib(e), sibb(e), OE sib(b) (orig. adj.); c. ON sifjar (pl.) relatives, OFris sib (adj.), sibba (n.), MD sibbe (n. and adj.), G Sippe kin; cf. gossip]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
A blood relation; a relative.
A person's relatives considered as a group; kinfolk.
A brother or sister; a sibling.
Anthropology A kinship group consisting of two or more lineages considered as being related, as by common descent from a mythic ancestor.
Related by blood; kindred.
[Middle English sibbe, from Old English sibb; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
1. a person's brother or sister [syn: sibling]
2. one related by blood or origin; especially on sharing an ancestor with another [syn: blood relation]
WordNet® 2.1, © 2005 Princeton University
-LING
a suffix of nouns, often pejorative, denoting one concerned with (hireling; underling), or diminutive (princeling; duckling).
[Origin: ME, OE; c. G -ling, ON -lingr, Goth -lings; see -le, -ing1]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
an adverbial suffix expressing direction, position, state, etc.: darkling; sideling.
[Origin: ME, OE; adv. use of gradational var. lang long1]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
One connected with: worldling.
One having a specified quality: underling.
One that is young, small, or inferior: duckling.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

I admit I only knew about the "sister or brother" meaning

Answer 2

Sibling denotes a brother or sister, respectively meaning a male or female who shares at least one parent with the person being referenced. This is usually taken to mean that the two people are genetically very close, though it is not always necessarily the case, i.e. an adoption.

In most societies throughout the world, siblings will usually grow up in the same household. This closeness is marked with the development of strong emotional associations between them (e.g., love, enmity). However, closeness may not always develop in sibling relationships, particularly between those with an age difference of five years or more.

Answer 3

Sibling denotes a brother or sister, respectively meaning a male or female who shares at least one parent with the person being referenced. This is usually taken to mean that the two people are genetically very close, though it is not always necessarily the case, i.e. an adoption.parents cannot be your sibling

Answer 4

brothers and sisters or just brothers or just sisters are all siblings. There was an episode of CSI where the two sisters in a family were actually mother and daughter but they also were sisters -- the father was a pervert...

Answer 5

You are right.
Siblings can also be animals from the same litter, or same mother. But siblings are never siblings with their parents.

MIDDLE ENGLISH was spoken around the year 1000 AD. How far back do you want us to go? Not even Shakespeare spoke Middle English.

Answer 6

siblings are only sisters and brothers not parents

Answer 7

Ja, you are correct. A sibling is your bother or sister.
Time to come out with the cold truth and correct your friend,
and ask him, "where are you in the great pecking order of siblinghood?"

Answer 8

A sister or brother.

Answer 9

Main Entry: sib·ling
Pronunciation: 'si-bli[ng]
Function: noun
1 : SIB 2; also : one of two or more individuals having one common parent
2 : one of two or more things related by a common tie or characteristic

Answer 10

a brother or a sister..not parents!