Sterne, Laur ‧ ence /stɜːn $ stɜːrn, ˈlɒrəns $ ˈlɔː-/ BrE AmE
(1713–68) an Irish writer, best known for his humorous novel ↑ Tristram Shandy , one of the earliest novels in English. His style influenced later writers who used the ↑ stream of consciousness method.