stir

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See also štír

Contents

English [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

From Old English styrian

Verb [edit]

stir (third-person singular simple present stirs, present participle stirring, simple past and past participle stirred)

  1. (transitive, dated) To change the place of in any manner; to move.
  2. (transitive) To disturb the relative position of the particles of, as of a liquid, by passing something through it; to agitate.
    She stirred the pudding with a spoon.
  3. (transitive) To agitate the content of (a container) by passing something through it.
    Would you please stand here and stir this pot so that the chocolate doesn't burn?
  4. (transitive) To bring into debate; to agitate; to moot.
  5. (transitive) To incite to action; to arouse; to instigate; to prompt; to excite.
  6. (intransitive) To move; to change one’s position.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Byron
      I had not power to stir or strive, But felt that I was still alive.
  7. (intransitive) To be in motion; to be active or bustling; to exert or busy one's self.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Byron
      All are not fit with them to stir and toil.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Charles Merivale
      The friends of the unfortunate exile, far from resenting his unjust suspicions, were stirring anxiously in his behalf.
  8. (intransitive) To become the object of notice; to be on foot.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Isaac Watts
      They fancy they have a right to talk freely upon everything that stirs or appears.
  9. (intransitive, poetic) To rise, or be up and about, in the morning.
    • 1907, Robert Chambers, chapter 4, The Younger Set[1]:
      “Mid-Lent, and the Enemy grins,” remarked Selwyn as he started for church with Nina and the children. Austin, knee-deep in a dozen Sunday supplements, refused to stir ; …
Usage notes [edit]
  • In all transitive senses except the first, stir is often followed by up with an intensive effect; as, to stir up fire; to stir up sedition.
Synonyms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Terms derived from stir
Translations [edit]
to change the place of in any manner; to move
to disturb the relative position of the particles of
to agitate the contents of
to bring into debate; to agitate; to moot
to incite to action; to arouse; to instigate; to prompt; to excite
to move; to change one’s position
to be in motion
to become the object of notice; to be on foot
to rise, or be up, in the morning
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun [edit]

stir (countable and uncountable; plural stirs)

  1. The act or result of stirring; agitation; tumult; bustle; noise or various movements.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Sir John Denham.
      Why all these words, this clamor, and this stir?
    • (Can we date this quote?), John Locke.
      Consider, after so much stir about genus and species, how few words we have yet settled definitions of.
  2. Public disturbance or commotion; tumultuous disorder; seditious uproar.
    • (Can we date this quote?), Sir John Davies.
      Being advertised of some stirs raised by his unnatural sons in England.
  3. Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions.
Translations [edit]
The act or result of stirring
Public disturbance or commotion
Agitation of thoughts; conflicting passions

Etymology 2 [edit]

This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.

Noun [edit]

stir (uncountable)

  1. (slang) Jail; prison.
    He's going to spendin' maybe ten years in stir.

Anagrams [edit]

Danish [edit]

Verb [edit]

stir

  1. imperative of stirre
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