stir
pronunciation
How to pronounce stir in British English:
UK [stɜː(r)]
How to pronounce stir in American English:
US [stɜːr]
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- Noun:
- a disorderly outburst or tumult
- emotional agitation and excitement
- a rapid bustling commotion
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- Verb:
- move an implement through with a circular motion
- move very slightly
- stir feelings in
- stir the feelings, emotions, or peace of
- affect emotionally
- evoke or call forth, with or as if by magic
- to begin moving, "As the thunder started the sleeping children began to stir"
- mix or add by stirring
Word Origin
- stir
- stir: [OE] The etymological connotations of stir are of ‘agitation’ and ‘disturbance’; the notion of ‘mixing a liquid with circular movements of a spoon or other implement’ is a secondary development. The verb goes back to a prehistoric Germanic *sturjan, whose only other living descendant is Norwegian styrja ‘make a disturbance’. It was formed from a base *stur-, which was probably also responsible for English storm.=> storm
- stir (v.)
- Old English styrian "to stir, move; rouse, agitate, incite, urge" (transitive and intransitive), from Proto-Germanic *sturjan (cognates: Middle Dutch stoeren, Dutch storen "to disturb," Old High German storan "to scatter, destroy," German stören "to disturb"), from PIE *(s)twer- (1) "to turn, whirl" (see storm (n.)). Related: Stirred; stirring. Stir-fry (v.) is attested from 1959.
- stir (n.)
- "commotion, disturbance, tumult," late 14c. (in phrase on steir), probably from a Scandinavian source, such as Old Norse styrr "disturbance, tumult," from the same root as stir (v.)). The sense of "movement, bustle" (1560s) probably is from the English verb.
Example
- 1. The sections are then friction stir welded together .
- 2. In japan their views have caused a stir .
- 3. The boy did not stir .
- 4. Music can stir up our imagination .
- 5. Students are expected to stir campus protests .