STIR

(MOVE) [verb] -rr- - to (cause to) move slightlyA light breeze stirred the leaves lying on the path. [T]The air was still and not a leaf or a blade of grass stirred. [I]He stirred in his sleep as I looked at him. [I]We went out for a walk at five in the morning, when not a soul was stirring (= when no one else was awake or moving about). [I]To stir or stir yourself is to wake up or begin to move or take action.Come on, stir yourselves, or you'll be late! [T]The alarm clock went off, but she didn't stir. [I]After three years of recession, the property market is beginning to stir again. [I]All winter the hedgehog never stirs from (= leaves) its warm hiding place. [I]If something stirs you, it makes you feel a strong emotion.I was deeply stirred by her moving performance. [T]The speech stirred the crowd to take action. [T + object + to infinitive](literary) If an emotion stirs within you, you begin to feel it.Hope stirred within her breast.To stir up something, such as earth or dust, is to cause it to move and rise up.The explosion stirred up clouds of mud from the sea bed.(literary) If something stirs your blood, it excites you.His adventure stories never fail to stir the blood.