A sister is the female counterpart of a brother. Generally, the term refers to a familial relationship, although a sister may also be non-familial. In the case of family, the term refers to a first degree relative. A full sister is the first degree female relative. A half sister is the next closest female relative.
A sister and a brother share a nonhierarchical relationship, and a sister is often a close relative of a child or a sibling. The terms sister and brother are often used in colloquial speech. Whether the word is used in a formal or informal context is up to the individual.
Sister companies may join forces with one another to consolidate marketing desks or offer special pricing. For example, a fabric manufacturer might partner with a furniture retailer to jointly market and produce fabric. As a company grows, the distinction between a subsidiary and a sister company becomes more fluid. Viacom Inc., for example, considers its underlying cable channels to be a sister company. Those channels include BET and Spike.
Sisters and nuns are often used interchangeably, but there are differences between them. Catholic nuns usually live in a semi-cloistered, enclosed environment. The majority of their ministry is centered around the monastery. A sister may also be a member of a religious order, such as the IHM Sisters in Monroe, Michigan.
Zodiac signs also correlate with their sisters’ characteristics. For example, Cancer is a sister sign of the Capricorn zodiac sign, while Aquarius has a sister sign that is emotionally and self-assured. Both signs share values and attitudes, though their approaches to communication differ. Understanding how you relate to your sister can help you make the best possible match.
The definition of a sister taxa is simple: two taxa have one common ancestor, which makes them sister taxa. This ancestor is the same in both species. A sister taxa shares the same ancestor as a parent. Thus, these two taxa are closely related. In general, sister taxa are similar in both form and function.