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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

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 Robert Louis Stevenson

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

Meliant of the Waste Manor searcheth for Lancelot in the midst of the stour until he findeth him, and runneth upon him right sturdily and pierceth his shield with his spear.

From The High History of the Holy Graal by Sebastian Evans

Was not well blest, gammer, to 'scape that stour?

From Gammer Gurton's Needle by Mr. S. Mr. of Art

And to all kind Mary Strathsay's pleas and words I but begged off as favors done to me, and I was liker to grow sullen than smiling with all the stour.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 11, No. 63, January, 1863 by Various

Remaining flood alerts in the wider West Midlands on Thursday morning included the River Blythe in Warwickshire and the River Stour and Smestow Brook in the Black Country and south Staffordshire.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

One of its founders and trustees, John Hall, said the group had been sampling water in the River Stour for three years and had adapted their process for the children.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The famous work depicts a rural scene near the River Stour in Flatford, but it was actually painted in Constable's London studio.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 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

Across it, under narrow bridges, flow two branches of the little river Stour.

From The Dover Road Annals of an Ancient Turnpike by Charles G. Harper