stir1
[stur]
- to move one's hand or an implement continuously or repeatedly through (a liquid or other substance) in order to cool, mix, agitate, dissolve, etc., any or all of the component parts: to stir one's coffee with a spoon.
- to set in tremulous, fluttering, or irregular motion: A soft breeze stirred the leaves.
- to affect strongly; excite: to stir pity; to stir one's heart.
- to incite, instigate, or prompt (usually followed by up): to stir up a people to rebellion.
- to move briskly; bestir: to stir oneself.
- to move, especially in a slight way: He would not stir a finger to help them.
- to rouse from inactivity, quiet, contentment, indifference, etc. (usually followed by up): to stir up his potential.
- to bring up for notice or discussion.
- to disturb; trouble.
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- to move, especially slightly or lightly: Not a leaf stirred.
- to move around, especially briskly; be active: Everyone in the house was stirring.
- to become active, as from some rousing or quickening impulse.
- to be emotionally moved or strongly affected.
- to be in circulation, current, or afoot: Is there any news stirring?
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- the act of stirring or moving.
- the sound made by stirring or moving slightly.
- a state or occasion of general excitement; commotion: The news created a stir.
- a mental impulse, sensation, or feeling: a stir of hope.
- a jog, poke, or thrust: He gave the refuse a stir with his foot.
- movement, especially brisk and busy movement: There was too much clamor and stir for her.
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Origin of stir1
before 900; Middle English stiren (v.), Old English styrian; cognate with German stören; akin to Old Norse styrr disturbance; see storm
Synonyms
See more synonyms for stir on Thesaurus.com1. disturb. 4. rouse, foment, arouse, provoke, stimulate, goad, spur. 17. fuss, pother, agitation, disorder, uproar. 20. bustle,
Synonym study
17. See ado.
Antonyms
17. quiet.
stir2
[stur]
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Origin of stir2
1850–55; argot word of obscure origin; compare earlier argot start in same sense
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for stir
Contemporary Examples
Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts, rum, powdered sugar, and salt until fully incorporated.
Stir in the frozen peas and chicken, taste for seasonings, and pour the mixture into six (2-cup) ovenproof serving bowls.
With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate and cranberries until the dough is well mixed.
Fleeing their homes, many Syrians left behind middle-class lives; most arrived with none of the mementos that stir memory.
In 2012, Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon caused a stir when she told The New York Times that her lesbianism is a “choice.”
Historical Examples
No, sir; I'm not gwine to stir from here till I git my twenty dollars!
Harriet, The Moses of Her PeopleSarah H. Bradford
Not a breeze can stir but it thrills us with the breath of autumn.
The Old Manse (From "Mosses From An Old Manse")Nathaniel Hawthorne
Not until there was a convulsive jerk of Dozier's elbow did he stir his folded arms.
Way of the LawlessMax Brand
And yet it was a coward's blow, and one to stir the blood and loose the tongue of the most peaceful.
The White CompanyArthur Conan Doyle
Stir until the eggs have thickened and then remove from the fire.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 4Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
stir1
- to move an implement such as a spoon around in (a liquid) so as to mix up the constituentsshe stirred the porridge
- to change or cause to change position; disturb or be disturbedhe stirred in his sleep
- (intr often foll by from) to venture or depart (from one's usual or preferred place)he won't stir from the fireside
- (intr) to be active after a rest; be up and about
- (tr) to excite or stimulate, esp emotionally
- to move (oneself) briskly or vigorously; exert (oneself)
- (tr) to rouse or awakento stir someone from sleep; to stir memories
- informal (when tr, foll by up) to cause or incite others to cause (trouble, arguments, etc)
- stir one's stumps informal to move or become active
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- the act or an instance of stirring or the state of being stirred
- a strong reaction, esp of excitementhis publication caused a stir
- a slight movement
- NZ informal a noisy party
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See also stir up
Word Origin
Old English styrian; related to Middle High German stürn to poke, stir, Norwegian styrja to cause a commotion; see storm, sturgeon
stir2
- a slang word for prison in stir
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Word Origin
C19: perhaps from Romany stariben prison
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for stir
v.
Old English styrian, from Proto-Germanic *sturjanan (cf. Middle Dutch stoeren, Dutch storen "to disturb," Old High German storan "to scatter, destroy," German stören "to disturb"), probably from the root of storm (q.v.). The noun sense of "commotion, disturbance, tumult" (late 14c., in phrase on steir) is probably from Old Norse styrr "disturbance, tumult" (see storm), from the same Proto-Germanic root; the sense of "movement, bustle" is probably from the English verb. Stir-fry (v.) is attested from 1959.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with stir
stir
In addition to the idioms beginning with stir
- stir up
- stir up a hornets' nest
also see:
- cause a commotion (stir)
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.