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stir1

Pronunciation: /stəː/

Translate stir | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of stir

verb (stirs, stirring, stirred)

  • 1 [with object] move a spoon or other implement round and round in (a liquid or other substance) in order to mix it thoroughly:Desmond stirred his tea and ate a biscuit [no object]:pour in the cream and stir well
  • (stir something in/into) mix an ingredient into (a liquid or other substance) by moving a spoon or other implement round and round:stir in the flour and cook gently for two minutes
  • 2move or cause to move slightly: [no object]:nothing stirred except the wind [with object]:a gentle breeze stirred the leaves cloudiness is caused by the fish stirring up mud
  • [no object] rise or wake from sleep:no one else had stirred yet
  • (stir from/out of) leave or go out of (a place):as he grew older, he seldom stirred from his club
  • begin or cause to begin to be active or to develop: [no object]:the 1960s, when the civil rights movement stirred [with object]:a voice stirred her from her reverie he even stirred himself to play an encore
  • 3 [with object] arouse strong feeling in (someone); move or excite:they will be stirred to action by what is written he stirred up the sweating crowd
  • arouse or prompt (a feeling or memory) or inspire (the imagination):the story stirred many memories of my childhood the rumours had stirred up his anger
  • [no object] British informal deliberately cause trouble by spreading rumours or gossip:Francis was always stirring, trying to score off people

noun

[in singular]
  • 1a slight physical movement:I stood, straining eyes and ears for the faintest stir
  • an initial sign of a specified feeling:Caroline felt a stir of anger deep within her breast
  • 2a commotion:the event caused quite a stir
  • 3an act of stirring food or drink:he gives his Ovaltine a stir

Phrases

stir the blood

make someone excited or enthusiastic.

stir one's stumps

[often in imperative] British informal, dated (of a person) begin to move or act.

Phrasal Verbs

stir something up

cause or provoke trouble or bad feeling:he accused me of trying to stir up trouble

Origin:

Old English styrian, of Germanic origin; related to German stören 'disturb'

stir in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of stir in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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