Adjacent Words

Stir definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

STIR, v.t. stur. [G., to stir, to disturb.]
1. To move; to change place in any manner.
My foot I had never yet in five days been able to stir.
2. To agitate; to bring into debate.
Stir on the questions of jurisdiction.
3. To incite to action; to instigate; to prompt.
An Ate stirring him to blood and strife.
4. To excite; to raise; to put into motion.
And for her sake some mutiny will stir.
To stir up,
1. To incite; to animate; to instigate by inflaming passions; as, to stir up a nation to rebellion.
The words of Judas were good and able to stir them up to valor. 2 Maccabees.
2. To excite; to put into action; to begin; as, to stir up a mutiny or insurrection; to stir up strife.
3. To quicken; to enliven; to make more lively or vigorous; as, to stir up the mind.
4. To disturb; as, to stir up the sediment of liquor.
STIR, v.i. stur.
1. To move ones self. He is not able to stir.
2. To go or be carried in any manner. He is not able to stir from home, or to stir abroad.
3. To be in motion; not to be still. He is continually stirring.
4. To become the object of notice or conversation.
They fancy they have a right to talk freely upon every thing that stirs or appears.
5. To rise in the morning. [Colloquial.]
STIR, n.
1. Agitation; tumult; bustle; noise or various movements.
Why all these words, this clamor and this stir?
Consider, after so much stir about the genus and species, how few words ave yet settled definitions.
2. Public disturbance or commotion; tumultuous disorder; seditious uproar.
Being advertised of some stir raised by his unnatural sons in England, he departed from Ireland without a blow.
3. Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a prominent or sensational but short-lived news event; "he made a great splash and then disappeared" [syn: stir, splash]
2: emotional agitation and excitement
3: a rapid active commotion [syn: bustle, hustle, flurry, ado, fuss, stir] v
1: move an implement through; "stir the soup"; "stir my drink"; "stir the soil"
2: move very slightly; "He shifted in his seat" [syn: stir, shift, budge, agitate]
3: stir feelings in; "stimulate my appetite"; "excite the audience"; "stir emotions" [syn: stimulate, excite, stir]
4: stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of; "These stories shook the community"; "the civil war shook the country" [syn: stimulate, shake, shake up, excite, stir]
5: affect emotionally; "A stirring movie"; "I was touched by your kind letter of sympathy" [syn: touch, stir]
6: summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic; "raise the specter of unemployment"; "he conjured wild birds in the air"; "call down the spirits from the mountain" [syn: raise, conjure, conjure up, invoke, evoke, stir, call down, arouse, bring up, put forward, call forth]
7: to begin moving, "As the thunder started the sleeping children began to stir" [syn: arouse, stir]
8: mix or add by stirring; "Stir nuts into the dough"

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (stirred; stirring) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English styrian; akin to Old High German st?ren to scatter Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. a. to cause an especially slight movement or change of position of b. to disturb the quiet of ; agitate — often used with up <the bear stirred up the bees> 2. a. to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of especially by a continued circular movement <stir the pudding> <stir the fire> — often used with up <stirred up mud from the lake bottom> b. to mix by or as if by stirring — often used with in <stir in the spices> 3. bestir, exert 4. to bring into notice or debate ; raise — often used with up <stir up sensitive issues> 5. a. to rouse to activity ; evoke strong feelings in <music that stirs the emotions> b. to call forth (as a memory) ; evoke c. provoke <stir a storm of controversy> intransitive verb 1. a. to make a slight movement <the leaves were barely stirring> b. to begin to move (as in rousing) c. to shift to another location ; budge <haven't stirred since I arrived> 2. to begin to be active <the factory stirred to life> 3. to be active or busy <not a creature was stirring — Clement Moore> 4. to pass an implement through a substance with a circular movement 5. to be able to be stirred • stirrer noun II. noun Date: 14th century 1. a. a state of disturbance, agitation, or brisk activity b. widespread notice and discussion ; impression <the book caused quite a stir> 2. a slight movement 3. a stirring movement III. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1851 slang prison

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v. & n. --v. (stirred, stirring) 1 tr. move a spoon or other implement round and round in (a liquid etc.) to mix the ingredients or constituents. 2 a tr. cause to move or be disturbed, esp. slightly (a breeze stirred the lake). b intr. be or begin to be in motion (not a creature was stirring). c refl. rouse (oneself), esp. from a lethargic state. 3 intr. rise from sleep (is still not stirring). 4 intr. (foll. by out of) leave; go out of (esp. one's house). 5 tr. arouse or inspire or excite (the emotions etc., or a person as regards these) (was stirred to anger; it stirred the imagination). --n. 1 an act of stirring (give it a good stir). 2 commotion or excitement; public attention (caused quite a stir). 3 the slightest movement (not a stir). Phrases and idioms: not stir a finger make no effort to help. stir the blood inspire enthusiasm etc. stir in mix (an added ingredient) with a substance by stirring. stir one's stumps colloq. 1 begin to move. 2 become active. stir up 1 mix thoroughly by stirring. 2 incite (trouble etc.) (loved stirring things up). 3 stimulate, excite, arouse (stirred up their curiosity). Derivatives: stirless adj. stirrer n. Etymology: OE styrian f. Gmc 2. n. sl. a prison (esp. in stir). Phrases and idioms: stir-crazy deranged from long imprisonment. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stir Stir, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stirred; p. pr. & vb. n. Stirring.] [OE. stiren, steren, sturen, AS. styrian; probably akin to D. storen to disturb, G. st["o]ren, OHG. st[=o]ren to scatter, destroy. [root]166.] 1. To change the place of in any manner; to move. My foot I had never yet in five days been able to stir. --Sir W. Temple. 2. To disturb the relative position of the particles of, as of a liquid, by passing something through it; to agitate; as, to stir a pudding with a spoon. My mind is troubled, like a fountain stirred. --Shak. 3. To bring into debate; to agitate; to moot. Stir not questions of jurisdiction. --Bacon. 4. To incite to action; to arouse; to instigate; to prompt; to excite. ``To stir men to devotion.'' --Chaucer. An Ate, stirring him to blood and strife. --Shak. And for her sake some mutiny will stir. --Dryden. Note: In all senses except the first, stir is often followed by up with an intensive effect; as, to stir up fire; to stir up sedition. Syn: To move; incite; awaken; rouse; animate; stimulate; excite; provoke.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stir Stir, v. i. 1. To move; to change one's position. I had not power to stir or strive, But felt that I was still alive. --Byron. 2. To be in motion; to be active or bustling; to exert or busy one's self. All are not fit with them to stir and toil. --Byron. The friends of the unfortunate exile, far from resenting his unjust suspicions, were stirring anxiously in his behalf. --Merivale. 3. To become the object of notice; to be on foot. They fancy they have a right to talk freely upon everything that stirs or appears. --I. Watts. 4. To rise, or be up, in the morning. [Colloq.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Stir Stir, n. 1. The act or result of stirring; agitation; tumult; bustle; noise or various movements. Why all these words, this clamor, and this stir? --Denham. Consider, after so much stir about genus and species, how few words we have yet settled definitions of. --Locke. 2. Public disturbance or commotion; tumultuous disorder; seditious uproar. Being advertised of some stirs raised by his unnatural sons in England. --Sir J. Davies. 3. Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(stirs, stirring, stirred) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If you stir a liquid or other substance, you move it around or mix it in a container using something such as a spoon. Stir the soup for a few seconds... There was Mrs Bellingham, stirring sugar into her tea... You don't add the peanut butter until after you've stirred in the honey. VERB: V n, V n into n, V n with in 2. If you stir, you move slightly, for example because you are uncomfortable or beginning to wake up. (WRITTEN) Eileen shook him, and he started to stir... The two women lay on their backs, not stirring. = move VERB: V, V 3. If you do not stir from a place, you do not move from it. (WRITTEN) She had not stirred from the house that evening... = move VERB: usu with brd-neg, V from n 4. If something stirs or if the wind stirs it, it moves gently in the wind. (WRITTEN) Palm trees stir in the soft Pacific breeze... Not a breath of fresh air stirred the long white curtains. = move VERB: V, V n 5. If a particular memory, feeling, or mood stirs or is stirred in you, you begin to think about it or feel it. (WRITTEN) Then a memory stirs in you and you start feeling anxious... Amy remembered the anger he had stirred in her... Deep inside the awareness was stirring that something was about to happen. VERB: V in n, V n in n, V 6. If an event causes a stir, it causes great excitement, shock, or anger among people. His film has caused a stir in America. = commotion N-SING 7. see also stirring

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Move. 2. Agitate, disturb. 3. Discuss, argue, moot, start, raise, agitate, bring into debate. 4. Instigate, incite, excite, rouse, arouse, awaken, prompt, stimulate, provoke, animate, goad, spur, stir up, set on. II. v. n. 1. Move, budge, go, change place, change one's position, move one's self. 2. Be active, be in motion. 3. Appear, happen, turn up, come into notice. 4. (Colloq.) Rise (from bed in the morning), get up. III. n. 1. Agitation, tumult, bustle, excitement, confusion, hurry, movement, activity, flurry, ado, fidget, fuss. 2. Disorder, tumult, uproar, commotion, public disturbance, seditious commotion. 3. Agitation of mind, conflict of passions.

Moby Thesaurus

action, activate, activeness, activism, activity, actuate, actuation, ado, advance, affect, agitate, agitation, amalgamate, animate, annoy, arise, arouse, ascend, awake, awaken, back, back up, be turbulent, beat, beat up, bestir, big house, blend, blow the coals, blow up, bluster, bobbery, boil, boiling, bother, botheration, brawl, brig, broil, brouhaha, budge, burst, business, bustle, calaboose, call forth, call up, can, challenge, change, change place, chokey, churn, churn up, circle, climb, clink, come alive, come home to, commingle, commotion, confusion, conturbation, convince, convulse, cooler, coop, cultivate, descend, din, disarrange, discombobulate, discompose, discomposure, disconcert, disorder, disquiet, disquietude, disturb, disturbance, doings, donnybrook, donnybrook fair, drive, dustup, dynamics, ebb, ebullience, ebullition, eddy, effervescence, electrify, embroilment, encourage, energize, enkindle, enrage, excite, excitement, fan, fan the fire, fan the flame, feed the fire, feery-fary, ferment, fermentation, fever, feverishness, fidgetiness, fidgets, fire, fit, flame, flap, flow, flurry, fluster, flutter, flutteration, flutteriness, foam, foment, foofaraw, fracas, free-for-all, frenzy, fret, fume, furore, fuss, fussiness, galvanize, get, get moving, get over, get up, glasshouse, go, go around, go deep, go round, go sideways, go through one, going, goings-on, gyrate, hassle, heat, helter-skelter, hoosegow, hubbub, hullabaloo, hurly-burly, hurry, hurry-scurry, impassion, impel, incense, incite, induce, inflame, infuriate, inquietude, inspire, instigate, intermingle, jar, jitters, jolt, jug, jumpiness, keep, key up, kindle, kinematics, kinesipathy, kinesis, kinesitherapy, kinetics, lather up, light the fuse, light up, look lively, madden, maelstrom, make sensitive, malaise, melee, melt, melt the heart, merge, militancy, mill, mill around, mingle, mix up, mobilization, moil, motion, motivate, motivation, mount, move, move over, movement, moving, nerviness, nervosity, nervousness, overexcite, paddle, pandemonium, pell-mell, pen, penetrate, penitentiary, persuade, perturb, perturbate, perturbation, pierce, pique, plunge, pokey, political activism, pother, prison, proceedings, prod, progress, prompt, provoke, quicken, quod, racket, raise, raise up, rally, rampage, rattle, refine, regress, restlessness, resuscitate, retrogress, revive, rile, riot, ripple, rise, rock, roil, rotate, rough-and-tumble, roughen, roughhouse, rouse, rout, row, ruckus, ruction, ruffle, rumple, rumpus, run, running, scramble, seethe, seething, sensibilize, sensitize, set astir, set fire to, set on, set on fire, shake, shake a leg, shake up, sharpen, shift, shindy, shock, simmer, sink, slammer, smart, smolder, soar, soften, spasm, spin, spur, spurt, stagger, steam up, step lively, stew, stimulate, sting, stir about, stir the blood, stir the embers, stir the feelings, stir up, stirring, stream, subside, summon up, sweat, swirl, swirling, to-do, touch, touch a chord, travel, trepidation, trepidity, trouble, tumult, tumultuation, turbidity, turbulence, turmoil, turn on, twitter, unease, unquiet, unrest, unsettle, uproar, upset, urge, velocity, vitalize, vortex, wake, wake up, waken, wane, warm, warm the blood, whet, whip, whip up, whirl, whirlpool, whirlwind, whisk, work into, work up, yeastiness