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   stir

   /stəː/

   verb

   • 1. move a spoon or other implement round in (a liquid or other substance) in order to mix it thoroughly: "Desmond stirred his tea and ate a biscuit" Similar mixblendagitatebeatwhipwhiskfold inmuddle
   • ▪ 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"
   • 2. move or cause to move slightly: "nothing stirred except the wind" Similar move slightlychange one's positiontwitchquivertrembledisturbrustleshakemoveflutteragitateswish
   • ▪ rise or wake from sleep: "no one else had stirred yet" Similar get upget out of bedrouse oneselfbestir oneselfriseshow signs of lifebe up and aboutbe activewake upawakenwakeninformal:be up and doingrise and shinesurfaceliterary:ariseOpposite go to bedretire
   • ▪ leave or go out of (a place): "as he grew older, he seldom stirred from his club" Similar leavedepart fromgo out ofmove frombudge frommake a move fromshift fromOpposite staystay put
   • ▪ begin or cause to begin to be active or to develop: "the 1960s, when the civil rights movement stirred" Similar spurdriverousepromptpropelprodmovemotivateencourageurgeimpelinduceprovokegoadprickstinginciteinflamelight a fire under
   • 3. arouse strong feeling in (someone); move or excite: "they will be stirred to action by what is written" Similar arouserousekindleinspirestimulateexciteawakenwakenquickenanimateactivategalvanizefireelectrifywhetliterary:enkindleOpposite stultify
   • ▪ arouse or prompt (a feeling or memory) or inspire (the imagination): "the story stirred many memories of my childhood"
   • ▪ deliberately cause trouble by spreading rumours or gossip: informal British "Francis was always stirring, trying to score off people"

   noun

   • 1. a 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"
   • 2. a commotion: "the event caused quite a stir"
   • 3. an act of stirring food or drink: "he gives his Ovaltine a stir"

   Word Origin Old Englishstyrian, of Germanic origin; related to German stören ‘disturb’.

   Scrabble Points: 4

   • S

     1

   • T

     1

   • I

     1

   • R

     1

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