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• stour
  stour

  noun
• Stour
  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

And aye an' while we nearer draw To whaur the kirkton lies alaw, Mair neebours, comin saft an' slaw Frae here an' there, The thicker thrang the gate, an' caw The stour in air.

From A Lowden Sabbath Morn by Stevenson, Robert Louis

And aye an’ while we nearer draw To whaur the kirkton lies alaw, Mair neebours, comin’ saft an’ slaw Frae here an’ there, The thicker thrang the gate an’ caw The stour in air.

From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 14 (of 25) by Stevenson, Robert Louis

Forby connects the Norfolk word stour, stiff, inflexible, applied to standing corn, with this word, which he says is Lowland Scotch, and derives them both from Sui.-G. stoer, stipes.

From Notes and Queries, Number 201, September 3, 1853 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by Bell, George

"I'm no settin' up a stour, am I?" the girl said.

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

There was a short interval of suspense, the stour and bicker of the mêlée faintly heard, but invisible behind the bank of smoke and dust.

From The Afghan Wars 1839-42 and 1878-80 by Forbes, Archibald