stir - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *(s)twr̥H-yé-ti?

English stir

From Middle English stiren, sturien, steren, from Old English styrian (“to be in motion, move, agitate, stir, disturb, trouble”), from Proto-Germanic *sturiz (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), related to Proto-West Germanic *staurijan (“to destroy, disturb”). Cognate with Old Norse styrr (“turmoil, noise, confusion”), German stören (“to disturb”), Dutch storen (“to disturb”).

stir (third-person singular simple present stirs, present participle stirring, simple past and past participle stirred)

  1. (transitive) To disturb the relative position of the particles (of a liquid or similar) by passing an object through it.
    Synonym: agitate
    She stirred the pudding with a spoon.
    He stirred his coffee so the sugar wouldn't stay at the bottom.
  2. (transitive) To disturb the content of (a container) by passing an object through it.
    Would you please stir this pot so that the chocolate doesn't burn?
  3. (transitive) To emotionally affect; to touch, to move.
  4. (transitive) To incite to action.
    Synonyms: arouse, instigate, prompt, excite; see also Thesaurus:incite
  5. (transitive) To bring into debate; to agitate.
    • 1613, Francis Bacon, chapter 8, in The Essaies‎[5], London:
      Preserue the rights of thy place, but stirre not questions of Iurisdiction : and rather assume thy right in silence, and de facto, then voice it with claimes, and challenges.
  6. (transitive, obsolete) To disturb, to disrupt.
    • c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene i:
      They ſay he is the King of Perſea.
      But if he dare attempt to ſtir your ſiege,
      Twere requiſite he ſhould be ten times more,
      For all fleſh quakes at your magnificence.
  7. (transitive, dated) To change the place of in any manner; to move.
    • 1677, Sir William Temple, “An Essay upon the Cure of Gout by Moxa”, in Miscellanea. The First Part, London, published 1705, page 209:
      […] notwithstanding the swelling of my Foot, so that I had never yet in five days been able to stir it, but as it was lifted.
    • 1927, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados Mysteries:
      'But the bolts can't be stirred, dear,' protested Myra. 'I've tried myself until my poor thumbs are nearly dislocated. […] '
  8. (intransitive) To begin to move, especially gently, from a still or unmoving position.
    • 1741, Isaac Watts, The Improvement of the Mind‎[6]:
      And especially if they happen to have any superior character or possessions in this world, they fancy they have a right to talk freely upon everything that stirs or appears […]
    • 1816, Byron, The Prisoner of Chillon‎[7]:
      I had not strength to stir or strive, / But felt that I was still alive— […]
  9. (intransitive) Of a feeling or emotion: to rise, begin to be felt.
    • 1993, Susan Hill, Mrs de Winter, published 1999, page 54:
      Though as I said it, glibly, reassuringly, I knew that I lied, and a little snake of guilt stirred and began to uncoil slightly, guilt and its constant companion deceit.
  10. (intransitive) To be in motion; to be active or bustling; to exert or busy oneself.
  1. (intransitive) To rise from sleep or unconsciousness.
    Synonyms: arise, get up, rouse; see also Thesaurus:wake

to disturb the relative position of the particles of

to disturb the contents of

to incite to action

to bring into debate; to agitate

to change the place of in any manner; to move

to begin to move, especially gently

of a feeling or emotion: to begin to be felt

to be active or bustling

Translations to be checked

stir (countable and uncountable, plural stirs)

  1. The act or result of stirring (moving around the particles of a liquid etc.)
    Can you give the soup a little stir?
  2. agitation; tumult; bustle; noise or various movements.
    • 1668, John Denham, Of Prudence (poem).
      Why all these words, this clamour, and this stir?
    • 1951 May, J. Pelham Maitland, “A Memorable Run by a Brighton "Terrier"”, in Railway Magazine, page 347:
      Meantime, the train went on to Brighton without further incident. No small stir was caused by its arrival with No. 61 at its head, resplendent with "East London Line Special" head boards, which at once caught the eye of William Stroudley, who was observing the traffic working from his office window.
    • 1967, Barbara Sleigh, Jessamy, Sevenoaks, Kent: Bloomsbury, published 1993, →ISBN, page 7:
      When the long, hot journey drew to its end and the train slowed down for the last time, there was a stir in Jessamy’s carriage. People began to shake crumbs from their laps and tidy themselves up a little.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:stir.
  3. Public disturbance or commotion; tumultuous disorder; seditious uproar.
    • 1612, Sir John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued:
      Being advertised of some stirs raised by his unnatural sons in England.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:stir.
  4. Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions.

The act or result of stirring

From Romani stariben (“prison”), nominalisation of (a)star (“seize”), causative of ast (“remain”), probably from Sanskrit आतिष्ठति (ātiṣṭhati, “stand or remain by”), from तिष्ठति (tiṣṭhati, “stand”).

stir (countable and uncountable, plural stirs)

  1. (slang) Jail; prison.
    He's going to be spending maybe ten years in stir.
    • 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01:
      The Bat—they called him the Bat. […]. He'd never been in stir, the bulls had never mugged him, he didn't run with a mob, he played a lone hand, and fenced his stuff so that even the fence couldn't swear he knew his face.
    • 1928, Jack Callahan, Man's Grim Justice: My Life Outside the Law, page 42:
      Sing Sing was a tough joint in those days, one of the five worst stirs in the United States.
  1. ^ Dobson, E[ric] J. (1957), English pronunciation 1500-1700‎[1], second edition, volume II: Phonology, Oxford: Clarendon Press, published 1968, →OCLC, § 82, page 572.

stir

  1. imperative of stirre

stir

  1. imperative of stira

From Middle English sturen, from Old English styrian, from Proto-West Germanic *sturjan.

stir

  1. to stir