Siree

Part of speech: interjection

Definitions

1. An emphatic exclamation added after yes or no to stress agreement or refusal, as in a firm and enthusiastic affirmation
2. A informal interjection tacked onto a yes or no to give it extra emphasis and a folksy, forceful tone
3. Used as an emphatic add-on to a plain yes or no, lending the reply extra firmness or vigorous conviction

Etymology: "Siree" (or "sirree") is an emphatic add-on to "sir," used in American English as in "No, sir-ee!" It is an intensifier, not a separate noun, and it is far more common in American speech and writing than in British English. The earliest recorded uses date from the mid-19th century in the United States, where it appears in dialect and colloquial writing as a way of making a yes or no sound more forceful. The ending "-ee" here is an emphatic vocalic extension, the same kind of playful sound-add-on found in words like "goody" and "Johnny," rather than a true suffix with its own meaning. Its spelling varies between "siree" and "sirree," and the form with a doubled "r" is the more common in print.