Stir

How to spell stir

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce stir

What does stir mean?

1. verbTo move a substance around, especially a liquid, with a spoon or similar implement.
2. verbTo provoke or arouse strong feelings or activity in someone.
3. nounA general commotion, excitement, or disturbance.

Stir in a sentence

• verb

  Remember to stir the soup so it does not stick to the pan.

• verb

  The manager tried not to stir resentment among the staff.

• noun

  The surprise announcement caused quite a stir in the office.

• verb

  Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves completely.

• verb

  His speech was designed to stir the crowd into action.

• noun

  Her resignation created a stir among the board members.

Where does stir come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

Stir descends from the Old English verb styrian, which meant 'to move, agitate, or disturb', and it traces further back to a Germanic root shared with related words across the old northern languages. The earliest sense was very physical: to set something in motion or to rouse it from stillness, whether that meant nudging a sleeper or whipping up the wind. From there the kitchen sense (to keep a liquid moving with a spoon) grew naturally, alongside the figurative one of rousing feelings or provoking trouble, as in 'to stir up' anger. The noun meaning a fuss or commotion appeared later, built straight from the verb. Because the word is short and entirely native, its spelling is plain phonetically, though the 'ir' sound is the same one writers can muddle with 'er' or 'ur' endings.

How the word is built

• stir (single Old English root, styrian: to move, agitate); no prefix or suffix