I. R ˈstər, + vowel -tər.; - R -tə̄, + suffixal vowel -tər. also -tə̄r, + vowel in a following word -tər. or -tə̄ also -tə̄r verb
( stirred ; stirred ; stirring ; stirs )
Etymology: Middle English stiren, steren, from Old English styrian; akin to Middle High German stürn to poke, incite, Old Norse styrr disturbance, and probably to Sanskrit tvarate he hurries — more at turbid
transitive verb
1.
a. : to impart movement to ; especially : to cause the slightest movement or change of position of
a faint smile stirred her lips — Kathleen Freeman
tied so tightly he could scarcely stir a finger
the great warships easing slowly through the gates of the bay … and stirring the yachts at anchor — John Durant
b. : to disturb the quiet of : agitate
little boats that barely stir its mysterious black waters — Selby Paul
coons, coyotes, and owls stirred the silence here and there — John Muir †1914
2.
a.
(1) : to pass a spoon or other implement through (a substance) with a continued circular movement for the purpose of mixing, blending, dissolving, cooling, or preventing sticking of the ingredients
stir the batter until the dry ingredients are blended
puts sugar in his tea and stirs it
stirs his pail of paint with a paddle
(2) : to mix by or as if by stirring
careful to stir the ingredients well
by stirring together a mass of … facts and superstitions, he arrived at a hierarchy of races — Martin Gardner
— often used with in or into
stir in the flour gradually to avoid lumping
stir the beaten eggs into the milk
b. : to disturb the relative position of the particles or parts of
stir the fire with the poker to make it burn again
stir the topsoil
— often used with up
the cows would wade into the pool and stir up … the mud on the bottom — Vicki Baum
3. : bestir , exert
the wife would … stir herself to sweep the floor — Pearl Buck
4. : to bring (a subject or question) into notice or debate : raise
stir not questions of jurisdiction — Francis Bacon
5.
a. : to excite to activity or strong feeling
an instinct stirs her to feed the older grubs — Weston La Barre
: incite , inflame
heroism that stirs orators to eloquence
the increase of illiteracy in children … has stirred the conscience of the British public — Britain Today
able, as a public speaker, to stir people … to the point of tears — Stewart Cockburn
: quicken
peace has no drums and trumpets to stir the pulse — Amy Loveman
— often used with up
she stirred up her father to proclaim a campaign against the whites — Negley Farson
b. : to call forth (as a feeling, memory, or disposition) from a person or group : evoke
men lacking an arm or leg stirred universal pity — Dixon Wecter
this Vermont watering trough … will stir nostalgic memories — J.H.East
: provoke
the inquiry has stirred a hot controversy — New York Times
— often used with up
abolitionists encouraged agitators to come South and stir up discontent — Helen B. Woodward
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to make a slight movement
a light breeze was stirring in the lime trees — T.B.Costain
: change one's position slightly
a bed that squeaks if he so much as stirs
: begin to move (as in rousing)
girl on the floor stirred, moaned and sat up — Louis Bromfield
b. : to make the least movement or excursion : move or go at all : budge
so intent on this fantastic … narrative that she had hardly stirred — Walter de la Mare
it was very wet all day and I didn't stir out of the house — Lennox Robinson
2. : to begin to be active : show signs of life
already, although it was still dark, the life of the farm was stirring — Ellen Glasgow
profound forces were stirring into a vigorous life that was soon to transform the culture of Europe — I.M.Price
3.
a. : to move in or from a place (as amid prevailing quiet or after inactivity)
in the barn back of the house she could hear the cattle stirring about — Sherwood Anderson
also : to be up and about
up and gone before the others were stirring
b. : to be active or busy : move in a brisk or vigorous manner
seemed to be forever busy about something, stirring around in the midst of tumult and struggle — W.A.White
: exert oneself
the friends of the unfortunate exile … were stirring anxiously in his behalf — Charles Merivale
: be in a state of excitement
the discontents that had been stirring in him for at least fifteen years — Carl Van Doren
4. : to become an object of notice : be current
talk freely on everything that stirs — Isaac Watts
5. : to pass an implement through a substance with a circular movement (as for the purpose of mixing)
asked to lick the spoon she was stirring with
6. : to be capable of being stirred
add water till the mixture stirs easily
Synonyms:
stir and stir ( up ), rouse , arouse , awaken , waken , rally can mean to inspire or drive someone from inactivity to action of some kind, or (with the exception of rally ) to inspire or provoke. stir and stir ( up ) suggest provocation of a person or his imagination to activity often implying something latent awaiting provocation; or they can apply directly to an emotion or reaction of the person provoked
obstacles only stirred the friars to greater efforts — R.A.Billington
some of them stir the imagination and call forth emotions — Douglas Carruthers
the present Diana had wakened his curiosity, had stirred his interest in her — George Meredith
movements that begin by stirring up hostility against a group of people — John Dewey
matters that stir heated controversy — F.A.Ogg & Harold Zink
rouse , arouse , awaken , and waken all presuppose a state of repose, often sleep or a dormant condition. rouse suggests a suddenness in stirring to activity, especially wakefulness, often applying to incitement by startling, frightening, or upsetting and sometimes suggesting ensuing turbulence
roused out of sleep by a heavy pounding on the door — Joseph Wechsberg
when he was roused he spoke with eloquence — R.M.Lovett
the sight of the brisk flames roused the rioters — T.B.Costain
poetry roused in her a clumsy and conventional enthusiasm — Virginia Woolf
a rousing fight
arouse is weaker in implication than rouse , often suggesting no more than to start into activity
the fact aroused no curiosity — John Dewey
busy arousing the public to the danger — W.G.Carleton
aroused sleeping memories — R.L.Cook
have sought to arouse prejudice and fear — F.D.Roosevelt
awaken and waken , implying an ending of sleep, apply chiefly to the stirring to activity of mental or spiritual powers
their assertion that you awakened them to think — Irwin Edman
awaken the curiosity of the future scientist — J.B.Conant
awaken the spirit of good will — V.L.Parrington
employ their talents or waken the deepest interest in their lives — Thomas Wolfe
wakened his latent powers of literary expression — C.A.Madison
rally implies a gathering together of diffused or disorganized forces that stirs up or rouses, especially to positive organized activity
his smiling face rallied his friends — Claud Cockburn
necessary to rally all the forces in the country in the name of freedom against a foreign foe — John Dewey
the prisoner made an effort to rally his attention — Charles Dickens
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : the state of being stirred : a state of disturbance, agitation, or activity : commotion
the entrance of the judge and a consequent great stir … stopped the dialogue — Charles Dickens
: restlessness
an age of stir and change, a season of new wine and old bottles — John Galsworthy
: flurry
these visits brought a considerable stir of … business in the provinces — R.W.Southern
b. : a reaction of widespread notice and discussion
an exposé that created a considerable stir in the press
: impression
an obscure family that had till then made little stir in the world
2. : a slight or incipient movement, excitement, or emotion
with every stir of wind and wheel, the dust blows in choking brown clouds — Marjory S. Douglas
everywhere there was a faint and genial stir of spring in the air — Susan Ertz
3. : an act of stirring : a stirring movement : poke
give the embers a stir
Synonyms:
stir , bustle , flurry , pother , fuss , ado : these six nouns all point to a manifest excitement or agitation accompanying an action or event. stir stresses a restless or brisk movement, usually of a group or crowd
a great stir about the manse that morning, and the boys were dressed in their Sunday clothes — William Black
the announcement created quite a stir in the audience
bustle adds the idea of noisy, obtrusive, often self-important activity
the streets are alive with the hurry and noise of a big city. Then the bustle subsides and relative calm is resumed — American Guide Series: North Carolina
no such bustle of enthusiasm, no such in-and-out of busy workers — S.H.Adams
flurry puts stress upon sudden, nervous, usually short-lived activity, often suggesting undue haste
a flurry of excitement
set off a flurry of speculation in the world's oil industry — Time
a flurry of ground fire exploded at almost the right altitude to catch the photographic plane — J.A.Michener
pother and fuss both imply unnecessary, often confused, activity or agitation, usually over trifles. pother lays stress upon the agitation or confusion
he was not unused to women, but he was unused to a pother of emotion over any one of them — Audrey Barker
the great hydraulic firms were in a continual pother about the water rights — Julian Dana
fuss usually stresses more the needlessness of the commotion
those events … scarcely warranted the tremendous fuss subsequently made about them — Arnold Bennett
much fuss is made of the right of the parent to order the life of his child — Times Literary Supplement
ado usually implies fussy activity and waste of energy
everybody seems to know his job and to take over his duties without much ado — Education Digest
among … speculators there always is considerable ado whenever the stock market drops below its preceding lows — Newsweek
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: by alteration
Scotland : sir
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown
slang : prison
an international jewel thief just out of stir and eager to get back to work — V.P.Hass
V. abbreviation
stirrup