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stir

verb (used with object)

to move one's hand or an implement continuously or repeatedly through (a liquid or other substance) in order to cool, mix, agitate, dissolve, etc., any or all of the component parts: to stir one's coffee with a spoon.

to set in tremulous, fluttering, or irregular motion: A soft breeze stirred the leaves.

to affect strongly; excite: to stir pity; to stir one's heart.

to incite, instigate, or prompt (usually followed by up): to stir up a people to rebellion.

to move briskly; bestir: to stir oneself.

EXPAND

to move, especially in a slight way: He would not stir a finger to help them.

to rouse from inactivity, quiet, contentment, indifference, etc. (usually followed by up): to stir up his potential.

to bring up for notice or discussion.

to disturb; trouble.

COLLAPSE

verb (used without object)

10.

to move, especially slightly or lightly: Not a leaf stirred.

11.

to move around, especially briskly; be active: Everyone in the house was stirring.

12.

to become active, as from some rousing or quickening impulse.

13.

to be emotionally moved or strongly affected.

14.

to be in circulation, current, or afoot: Is there any news stirring?

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Stir is one of our favorite verbs.

So is kibitz. Does it mean:

chat, to converse

to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.

LEARN MORE FUN, UNUSUAL VERBS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

15.

the act of stirring or moving.

16.

the sound made by stirring or moving slightly.

17.

a state or occasion of general excitement; commotion: The news created a stir.

18.

a mental impulse, sensation, or feeling: a stir of hope.

19.

a jog, poke, or thrust: He gave the refuse a stir with his foot.

EXPAND

20.

movement, especially brisk and busy movement: There was too much clamor and stir for her.

COLLAPSE

Origin:
before 900; Middle English stiren (v.), Old English styrian; cognate with German stören; akin to Old Norse styrr disturbance; see storm

Related forms

stir·ra·ble, adjective

stir·less, adjective

stir·less·ly, adverb

un·stir·ra·ble, adjective

un·stirred, adjective

EXPAND

well-stirred, adjective

COLLAPSE

Synonyms
1. disturb. 4. rouse, foment, arouse, provoke, stimulate, goad, spur. 17. fuss, pother, agitation, disorder, uproar. See ado. 20. bustle,

Antonyms
17. quiet.

Example Sentences

Sometimes you have to get out there and stir things up to make real change.

All four governors have caused a stir by taking on public-sector unions.

Remove from the heat and stir in the blueberries, banana, and creamer.

EXPAND

Sometimes you have to get out there and stir things up to make real change.

All four governors have caused a stir by taking on public-sector unions.

Remove from the heat and stir in the blueberries, banana, and creamer.

It's something that would stir up cognitive dissonance in even the heartiest of creationists.

Add the alligator meat, stir well, taste and adjust seasonings.

Add sugar and cream and stir over high heat until mixture is boiling.

Certain words can shake the blogosphere in much the same way earthquakes stir the planet.

If you study living people who stir up controversial things overseas, this story is about you.

Not even insects stir in the heat of the austral summer.

Add chicken and stir gently to keep pieces from sticking together.

When you stir a cup of coffee you add heat to it though the heat is miniscule.

Her dress caused a stir when the press glimpsed a photograph of her modeling it days before the ball.

Mix with chopped tomatoes for a bruschetta topping, toss into a spinach-feta salad, or stir into polenta.

The anticipation of its arrival creates quite a stir.

Several other questions about endowments also continue to stir debate.

Reporting is a way to stir up material to take into the chamber with you and turn into smoke.

Stir for five more minutes, then add the rice and stir to coat well.

Anything to stir up emotions and set people against each other, instead of working to craft legislation.

Put the sugar into the milk with the vanilla, and stir till it is dissolved.

Stir or beat into butter mixture until well incorporated.

But if you forget to stir the chili while you're playing with your knife, it'll burn.

Stir in the reserved chard, and add more water if needed to give the stew a moist yet not soupy consistency.

Either could stir up opposition to his rule, perhaps even within the army.

Stir and let them sizzle for a few moments to release their aroma.

Stir the mixture to mix and either serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.

He did not want any successful slave leader free to stir up trouble.

Stir a handful of quartered, pitted cherries and toasted sliced almonds into pancake batter.

Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and stir in one cup of heavy cream.

Exactly how much freedom of speech to grant on campus, and to whom, can stir heated debates.

When you are in trouble over one thing, cause a stir over another.

Mix sour cream with flour and stir in with the sauce.

Like someone would produce the spoors and then add some silicon and stir it all up.

The hug a tree people would try to set aside land and stir up a lot of trouble.

Stir in a controlled-release fertilizer to provide a steady supply of nutrients.

Stir well until the design represents the consistency of a smooth batter.

Pour yogurt mixture over salmon-vegetable mixture and stir until well-combined.

The government may make some progress on social policy, but will skirt issues that could stir up sectarian disputes.

Stir in the milk a little bit at a time until the snow cream reaches a consistency you like.

Add mixture to broth and rice mixture, and barely stir into soup.

To make sure they dry thoroughly and don't stick together, stir twice a day.

McCloskey, who caused a stir several years ago, after deciding to become a woman.

Stir the seeds to coat them with oil, then spread them out evenly over the bottom of the baking pan.

Add milk to beaten egg and stir into the dry mixture to make a soft dough.

Stir in some shredded cheddar or jack cheese if you like.

Turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.

Mix in the curry powder and stir to coat the vegetables.

Bring to a boil, and stir until all cranberries have burst and liquid becomes thick.

Stir while heating until mixture is warm and smooth.

But my purpose is not to stir up controversy but to quell it.

Sprinkle instant potato flakes in pan to absorb the meat juices and stir well.

Stir in seltzer water and additional sugar to taste.

Add a solution of water and fluoride ions, and stir.

Japanese custom is not to use a spoon but instead to sip the soup directly from the bowl, using your chopsticks to stir it.

Pour in the tomatillo mixture and stir constantly for about five minutes, until thick and dark.

Stir the mixture frequently, and keep it over heat until the ingredients are fully melted and blended.

Add the oysters and their liquor and stir to combine.

Stir the baking soda, cornstarch, and water together in the saucepan.

Mix coconut milk with a thick red curry paste, stir and boil and stir for an hour, as it reduces and richens.

Its discovery would also cause a major stir in the astronomical world, he said.

The findings will likely stir the debate on animal self-awareness and the ethics of using them in experiments.

These acrobats stir up a pair of scarlet macaws that fly off in a red streak to a quieter tree.

They have no magic to stir men's blood”-laid out plans for the park to include gardens and museums.

Stir the mixture with a gloved hand or wooden spoon.

Otherwise, patrons rely on a battery of oscillating fans to stir the equatorial air as they hunch over their food.

Stir in the garlic and ginger paste, chopped spring onions, and coriander leaves.

Explain to students that environmental issues often stir controversy.

In muddy flats or shallow water, they use their long legs and webbed feet to stir up the bottom.

Stir in the intensive marketing of candy and fast food, and you have the makings of an epidemic.

She says she's short and often can't reach bowls to stir properly.

Stir two to six drops of your favorite essential oil into the mixture and mix well.

When everything is getting nice and mushy, give it a stir.

Vaccines depend on them, and scientists are even employing the cells to stir up.

The hope is that their individual stories will stir fires of pride and aspiration in visitors to the show.

At other times they keep their eyes shut and appear to be asleep, although they may open them and stir when touched or spoken.

Riches, domination of others, and winning at all costs are more likely to stir self-disgust than contentment.

Too much may stir bigotry and charges of dual loyalty, or even make some within the minority dangerously impatient for.

Internet telephony has already caused a stir as new players shake up established phone service providers.

Its power to create a common ground, to stir deep emotions and even to heal.

Stir or beat in flour and salt until dough is no longer crumbly and comes together in a ball.

It did create quite the stir on campus though, especially on the faculty side.

If you keep your mouth shut, you are unlikely to stir up controversy.

There was something of a stir in certain circles on campus.

Stir in purslane and cook a few minutes until wilted.

It tried to stir up public anger by portraying the residents as impudent oligarchs.

Politicians are always on the hunt for issues with which they can stir up emotions and build support.

Because the bubbler does little more than stir the water, there's no need for a reservoir beneath the bowl.

The company caused a stir last week when they led fans to believe that their service was going under.

Efforts are being made to stir up civic pride and reduce the smog caused by fires, by collecting rubbish and waste more reliably.

It will start to dry out and thicken into a mound of dough as you continue to stir.

Changing seasons, in turn, can be responsible for weather patterns that stir up chemical reactions and are conducive to life.

All rather complicated things, unlikely to stir up populism.

There lives are meaningless and useless and they want to stir the pot so they have something to.

Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and lemon juice.

Don't forget to stir while you heat or it might scorch on the bottom.

Foxx also has a reputation for being outspoken and has sometimes caused a stir with controversial comments.

If the paint is too thick or lumpy, add a few drops of water and stir gently until thinned and smooth.

To achieve the right texture, stir in the filling from one strawberry jelly doughnut for each cup of juice.

Just before serving, stir in the peas and coconut milk and season with salt.

Though they are rare, finding one would not normally cause much of a stir.

The touchscreen keyboard alone would stir up hatred amongst the tech writers of the world.

Many residents say that local politicians stir ethnic and religious feelings to win.

If you stir when the mixture is too hot or too cold, it will either stay soft or get too firm to cut neatly.

Stir and shake all the ingredients, adding the yeast last, then bottle.

It's hardly rhetoric to stir a firestorm, but the plot thickens.

Greek politicians are still nervous about the army's capacity to stir up trouble.

There's almost no question that this is going to stir up the climate-change deniers.

His was a rude and short sighted comment meant to hurt or perhaps stir up ill feelings- he has done that by reading the posts.

That's financially attractive for hard-up councils, but is sure to stir up political trouble.

But now there's mounting evidence that temperature differences in the polar night stir up the atmosphere, creating storms.

Once the plate is fully submerged, gently stir the solution until your image shows on the plate as clear black and white.

They are clearly stir crazy and in need of some way of burning off some energy.

They should stir until the salt is completely dissolved.

The bean/pea mix had gotten bitter too, but they were fine in scrambled eggs and stir fry.

When those big beasts walk, their feet stir up insects and other small animals on the ground.

After bringing to a boil, add rice and stir occasionally.

Every few days you spin the barrel to stir up the decaying material inside instead of jabbing it with a ptichfork.

Salsafuerte is all about powerful high-energy music with intelligent jazz arrangements which will stir every listener's soul.

Setting up a mandatory system of organ donation would undoubtedly stir protests from around the country.

For the next few hours, cooks had to stir the cream and shake the ice.

But that view presupposes market forces that are only beginning to stir.

Put all of the ingredients in a pot and stir constantly over medium heat.

Then, explain that they should put one sample in each test cup, stir and observe the effects.

The skull caused a stir among scientists, who felt that the lower jaw belonged to a different species, perhaps an ape.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun Slang.

prison.

Origin:
1850–55; argot word of obscure origin; compare earlier argot start in same sense

Link To stir

Collins

World English Dictionary

stir¹ (stɜː)

—vb (often foll by from) (when tr, foll by up) , stirs, stirring, stirred
1.	to move an implement such as a spoon around in (a liquid) so as to mix up the constituents: she stirred the porridge
2.	to change or cause to change position; disturb or be disturbed: he stirred in his sleep
3.	to venture or depart (from one's usual or preferred place): he won't stir from the fireside
4.	(intr) to be active after a rest; be up and about
5.	(tr) to excite or stimulate, esp emotionally
6.	to move (oneself) briskly or vigorously; exert (oneself)
7.	(tr) to rouse or awaken: to stir someone from sleep; to stir memories
8.	informal to cause or incite others to cause (trouble, arguments, etc)
9.	informal stir one's stumps to move or become active

—n
10.	the act or an instance of stirring or the state of being stirred
11.	a strong reaction, esp of excitement: his publication caused a stir
12.	a slight movement
13.	informal (NZ) a noisy party

[Old English styrian; related to Middle High German stürn to poke, stir, Norwegian styrja to cause a commotion; see storm, sturgeon]

'stirrable¹

—*adj*

stir² (stɜː)

—n
	a slang word for prison : in stir

[C19: perhaps from Romany stariben prison]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

stir

O.E. styrian, from P.Gmc. *sturjanan (cf. M.Du. stoeren, Du. storen "to disturb," O.H.G. storan "to scatter, destroy," Ger. stören "to disturb"), probably from the root of storm (q.v.). The noun sense of "commotion, disturbance, tumult" (late 14c., in phrase on steir)

EXPAND

is probably from O.N. styrr "disturbance, tumult" (see storm), from the same P.Gmc. root; the sense of "movement, bustle" is probably from the Eng. verb. Stir-fry (v.) is attested from 1959.

COLLAPSE

Slang Dictionary

stir definition

n.
prison. (Underworld.) : I can't stand being in stir!

Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

stir

In addition to the idioms beginning with stir, also see cause a commotion (stir).

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stir

cause a commotion (stir)

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"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

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