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  Stour

  noun

  a river in S England, in Kent, rising in the Weald and flowing N to the North Sea: separates the Isle of Thanet from the mainland

stour

American  

[stoor] / stʊər /

noun

1. British Dialect.

   1. tumult; confusion.

   2. a storm.

2. British Dialect. blowing dust or a deposit of dust.

3. Archaic. armed combat; battle.

4. British Dialect. a time of tumult.

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Stour ¹ British  

/ staʊə /

noun

1. Also called: Great Stour.  a river in S England, in Kent, rising in the Weald and flowing N to the North Sea: separates the Isle of Thanet from the mainland

2. any of several smaller rivers in England

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stour ² British  

/ staʊə, stuːr /

noun

1. turmoil or conflict

2. dust; a cloud of dust

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Etymology

Origin of stour

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French estour battle < Germanic; akin to storm

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stour Stour

"Weel, see that ye dinna set up a stour," Bell answered.

From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 15, No. 89, May, 1875 by Various

"Not in this first stour," said the Knight.

From The Sundering Flood by May Morris

Whatreck, a' the stour cam to naething; Sae Symon, and Janet his dame, Hale skart frae the wars, without skaithing, Gaed bannin' the French again hame.

From The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume I. The Songs of Scotland of the past half century by Charles Rogers

Now up and ride, Laird Eglinton, That was sae stout in stour, That when it rainit cats and dogs, Aye jousted through the shower.

From Punch - Volume 25 (Jul-Dec 1853) by Various

The cudgel in my nieve did shake, Each bristled hair stood like a stake, When wi' an eldritch stour, quaick—quaick— Amang the springs, Awa ye squatter'd like a drake, On whistling wings.

From The Mysteries of All Nations Rise and Progress of Superstition, Laws Against and Trials of Witches, Ancient and Modern Delusions Together With Strange Customs, Fables, and Tales by James Grant

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service was called to a warehouse on Stour Road in Harwich at about 03:36 BST and about 35 firefighters had been sent.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

During his career he produced many paintings of the Suffolk countryside and around the River Stour, which helped give the area the name, Constable Country.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Standing beside a row of tethered punts on the River Stour, boatman James Matharu says while he has heard about other businesses getting cancellations, things are "still pretty busy here".

From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026

Ms Rose was found on a track next to the London-Ipswich railway line, which overlooks the River Stour estuary.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2025

She married Lord Stour, as his second wife, and had no son.

From Notwithstanding by Mary Cholmondeley